Ames, Iowa
December, 2007
Source:
Council for Agricultural
Science and Technology (CAST)
http://www.cast-science.org/displayProductDetails.asp?idProduct=149
December, 2007 … Ames, Iowa. The
Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) is
releasing a new Issue Paper, Implications of Gene Flow in the
Scale-up and Commercial Use of Biotechnology-derived Crops:
Economic and Policy Considerations.
Gene flow is a natural occurrence in the biological world and
always has been. The introduction of biotechnology-derived
crops, however, has caused an increased interest in
understanding and managing gene flow. According to Task Force
Chair David Gealy, USDA–ARS, “Humans have selected, adapted, and
improved crops from diverse species for numerous purposes. Many
useful traits are being imparted into biotech and nonbiotech
crops, most of which are likely to impact the dynamics of gene
flow very little, especially outside of agricultural fields.
Precommercialization procedures that take into account the
specific trait being introduced will help to insure that impacts
of gene flow remain low.” The Issue Paper:
Describes biological traits being imparted into biotech crops
and their gene flow ramifications
Explains the phenomenon of adventitious presence and how it
relates to gene flow
Discusses containment approaches for the mitigation of gene flow
Summarizes existing regulatory and risk assessment mechanisms
for biotech crops
Discusses potential economic implications of biotech crops in
the marketplace
Explores future policy and research issues.
“Science and technology have played a significant role in how
the U.S. and other world markets produce crops,” noted CAST
Executive Vice President John Bonner. “This new paper offers
insight regarding the gene flow potential and economic
implications of such crops, and CAST is pleased to help
facilitate this important discussion.”
The full text of the paper Implications of Gene Flow in the
Scale-up and Commercial Use of Biotechnology-derived Crops:
Economic and Policy Considerations (Issue Paper No. 37) may be
accessed on the CAST website at www.cast-science.org, along with
many of CAST’s other scientific publications, and is available
in hardcopy for $5.00 (includes shipping) by contacting the CAST
office at 515-292-2125. CAST is an international consortium of
38 scientific and professional societies. It assembles,
interprets, and communicates credible science-based information
regionally, nationally, and internationally to legislators,
regulators, policymakers, the media, the private sector, and the
public.
Click
HERE to download paper
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