By Jennifer Martin

Biotechnology has the potential to substantially increase agricultural
productivity, influence markets, and in some cases invent new uses for
traditional crops. However, concerns accompany these potential benefits. A
group of scientists from Virginia examined the benefits, costs, and risks
associated with agricultural products arising from biotechnology research.

With funding from USDA?s Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service (CSREES), George Norton and colleagues at Virginia
Polytechnic Institute focused their study on two crops: tobacco and rice.
They chose tobacco because research is underway to discover pharmaceutical
uses for the crop. Rice was chosen because it is the subject of a large
biotechnology program, with significant implications for U.S. producers, as
well as for producers and low-income consumers in the developing world.

Norton?s team assessed the costs and benefits of biotechnologies using
economic models. Analyses for tobacco focused on three pharmaceutical
products: glucerebrosidase (an enzyme for treating Gaucher Disease), human
serum albumin (used as a substitute for blood plasma during surgery), and
secretory IgA antibody (important in preventing tooth decay). The project
team determined that pharmaceutical companies and patent holders would
benefit from biotechnology research in tobacco crops, but the outcome for
farmers and the public would be limited.

A world trade model was used to project the economic consequences of Asia
and the United States implementing biotechnology to adopt cost-reducing
genetically modified rice. The model considered the potential impacts of
insect-, drought-, and herbicide-resistant genetically modified rice
technologies. Projected total benefits from these three technologies was
around $2 billion per year, but varied regionally; Asian countries benefited
from genetically modified rice, while the United States experienced a small
net loss.

Using a telephone survey, the project team assessed the perceived social
impact from genetically modified crops, specifically insect-resistant rice
and pharmaceutical-producing tobacco. Results suggest most people had strong
feelings, positive or negative, toward biotechnologies. Willingness to
support genetically modified crops varied with the levels of
benefits?consumer support was greater for plant-based pharmaceuticals than
for genetically modified food products.

Focus groups in the United States, the Philippines, and Bangladesh elicited
stakeholder views or concerns about the potential benefits and costs of
obtaining pharmaceutical products from genetically modified crops. The focus
group also interviewed tobacco manufacturers, tobacco and rice producers,
private biotech firms, environmentalists, government regulators, clergy,
students, World Bank representatives, university and government researchers,
and consumers. The project team found most citizens of Asian countries were
unaware of biotechnology risk or benefit. U.S. farmers are open to the idea
of genetically modified crops, but fear a backlash that could negatively
affect crop prices.

Educational materials and fact sheets with more details about project
findings are available at [www.agecon.vt.edu].

This project provides beneficial information about the public?s view of
genetically modified agricultural crops in the United States and abroad. It
also explored impacts on these crops of U.S policies and regulations, and
provides greater clarity on the appropriate roles of the public versus the
private sector in biotechnology research and development.

CSREES funded this research through the Initiative for Future Agricultural
and Food Systems program. Through federal funding and leadership for
research, education and extension programs, CSREES focuses on investing in
science and solving critical issues affecting people?s daily lives and the
nation?s future. For more information, visit www.csrees.usda.gov.
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www.checkbiotech.org