GMO Crops: Lessons Learned

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GMO Crops Lessons Learned

• Dr. Charles R. Hurburgh, Jr.
• Agricultural Biosystems Engineering
• Iowa State University
• October 9, 2000

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Who Has Been Affected by GMO Crops?

• Biotechnology companies and suppliers
• Producers
• A few consumers and processors (if output traits)
• Researchers

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Who Has Been Affected by the GMO Issue?

• Biotechnology companies and suppliers
• Producers
• Handlers
• Food manufacturing chain

4
Who Has Been Affected by the GMO Issue?

• Consumers
• Media
• Activists
• Testing labs, other support services
• Exports, educators, researchers

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GMO Crops Lessons Learned
Consumers can care about raw commodities

• Any perception of change will be negative
• Any perceived risk is more risk than they had
  before
• With no clear benefit, responses will be negative
• The Precautionary Principle

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GMO Crops Lessons Learned
Consumers can care about raw commodities

• Value is utility, a perceived level, not purely
  cost
• Consumers do not have to be consistent
• Consumers may value the process as much as the
  product

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GMO Crops Lessons Learned
Success in segregating products means organized
supply chains, not random trading

• Segregation without incentives is unlikely
• Full segregation is costly (50/bu)
• A slightly enhanced commodity is not a good
  product for segregation
• Certification or testing
• Success stories

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Grain Handling Practices Non-GMO Markets (Feb.
2000)
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Grain Analysis Practices Non-GMO Markets (Feb.
2000)
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GMO Crops Lessons Learned
Do not expect what you cannot inspect

• New products must have verification, tests
  available
• Split or partial approval trouble
• Inspection/testing must have neutral standards
• Certification (ISO, etc.) is a partial but not
  complete substitute
• Testing methods

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GMO Testing

• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
• DNA test, precise
• 3-5 days, 300/sample
• Immunoassay (ELISA)
• antibody indicator, screening
• 5-20 minutes, 3-10/sample
• NIR under test
• near-infrared, screening
• 1-2 minutes, 2-4/sample

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GMO Testing

• Sampling
• 25-50 error - single kernel event
• Sampling error similar to aflatoxin
• 5-10 lb sample
• rough grind and divide
• Tolerances
• Market uncertain
• Most estimates 1-5
• Accumulation of mixing errors
• original seed, field
• harvesting
• handling and storage
• shipment

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GMO Testing
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GMO Crops Lessons Learned
Producers do not have to support all biotechnology

• Technology cost treadmill
• Competitors can specialize, avoid the costs of
  segregation
• Any marketing risk is more risk than producer has
  now
• More cautious, demanding in the future GMO
  forced them to learn about the entire market

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Summary How High Was The Tuition?

• Consumers can care about raw commodities
• Success in segregating means organized supply
  chains, not random trading
• Do not expect what you cannot inspect
• Producers do not have to support all
  biotechnology

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Where To Find Us
www.iowagrain.org