Biosafety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their derivatives is still a major topic in the agenda of government and societies worldwide. The aim of this review is to bring into light that data that supported the decision taken back in 1998 as an exercise to stimulate criticism from the scientific community for upcoming discussions and to avoid emotional and senseless arguments that ...

in recent years, biotechnology has provided the possibility of creating genetically modified (gm) organisms by transferring genes from sources such as viruses, bacteria, animals, and plants into usually unrelated species. this ability to overcome insurmountable physiological barriers by exchanging genetic materials among all living organisms is a double-edged sword. on the one hand, it allows t...

BACKGROUND Accurate pesticide use data are essential when studying the environmental and public health impacts of pesticide use. Since the mid-1990s, significant changes have occurred in when and how glyphosate herbicides are applied, and there has been a dramatic increase in the total volume applied. METHODS Data on glyphosate applications were collected from multiple sources and integrated ...

Agricultural and environmental applications of modern biotechnology have spurred considerable controversy about their environmental risks and potential to alter the environmental impacts of other technologies and practices, such as pesticide use. The range of biotechnology products under development is expanding rapidly, and thus the potential for controversy over the environmental effects of b...

This article analyzes the development of notifications of genetically modified plants field trials in the European Union from 1991 to 2001, based on the data collected at the European level in the Summary Notification Information Format database. During this time period, a total of 1687 field trial notifications were received. The number of field trial notifications dropped by 76% between 1998 ...

Coexistence between genetically modified (GM) and non-GM plants is a field of rapid development and considerable controversy. In crops, it is increasingly important to understand and predict the GM volunteer emergence in subsequent non-GM crops. Theoretical models suggest recruitment from the seedbank over extended periods, but empirical evidence matching these predictions has been scarce. Here...

Evaluation of transgenic crops under field conditions is a fundamental step for the production of genetically engineered varieties. In order to determine if there is pollen dispersal from transgenic to nontransgenic soybean plants, a field release experiment was conducted in the Cerrado region of Brazil. Nontransgenic plants were cultivated in plots surrounding Roundup Ready transgenic plants c...

Industrial or “Green Revolution” agriculture depends upon petroleum to manufacture and spread fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and to power irrigation systems that act upon crops selected to increase agricultural yield. It has been criticized on the grounds that it has favored mainly rich farmers and caused serious environmental pollution. Now a second “Green Revolution” is being proposed...

I n the early 1970s, when recombinant DNA technology became available, scientists exercised a healthy amount of caution. Within just a few years, as effective laboratory safety rules were established, it became clear that DNA recombinant organisms posed no greater risk than any other biotechnology, including particularly agricultural biotechnology. This evident lack of special risk is what has ...

This year, 30 million acres of the corn, cotton, and potatoes planted in the United States will have been genetically engineered to produce an endotoxin normally found in the microbe Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a self-contained pesticide that will be toxic only to target insects. Transgenic pest-resistant crops are a cost-effective alternative to chemical pesticides, and may offer a way to hel...