GENERAL INFORMATION

The History of Biotech

New Technologies in Agriculture - Biotechnology (35 K pdf file) Speech to the Informal Agriculture Council by Mr. David Byrne, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection. - Europa

Principles of Biotechnology (155 K pdf file) - North Central Regional Extension Publication

RESOURCES

Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) - The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) in the UK is an non-statutory, independent body of scientific experts that advises the Food Standards Agency on any matters relating to novel foods (including genetically modified foods) and novel processes (including food irradiation). The committee carries out safety assessments of any novel food or process submitted for approval under the EC Novel Food Regulation. The reports of these evaluations and the minutes of the committee meetings are published, and an Annual Report is issued each year summarizing the work of the committee and listing the members and any interests that they might have.

Biotechnology Industry Organization - Represents biotechnology companies, academic institutions and state biotechnology centers.

Center for Bioethics - University of Pennsylvania

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). A resource for molecular biology information. Creates public databases, conducts research in computational biology, develops software tools for analyzing genome data, and disseminates biomedical information.

BIOTECHNOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE

Adoption of Bioengineered Crops (813 K pdf file) - Use of crop biotechnology products, such as genetically engineered (GE) crops with input traits for pest management, has risen dramatically since commercial approval in the mid-1990s. This report addresses several of the economic dimensions regarding farmer adoption of bioengineered crops, including herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant varieties. In particular, the report examines: 1) the extent of adoption of bioengineered crops, their diffusion path, and expected adoption rates over the next few years; 2) factors affecting the adoption of bioengineered crops; and 3) farm-level impacts of the adoption of bioengineered crops. Data used in the analysis are mostly from USDA surveys. (ERS, USDA; USDA - Agricultural Economic Report No. 810)

Agricultural Biotechnology: An Economic Perspective (1.4 MB pdf file) This report describes the economic, scientific, and social factors that will influence the future of biotechnology in agriculture. The supply of biotechnology innovations and products will be affected by public policies and by expected producer and consumer demand. (ERS, USDA)

Concentration and Technology in Agricultural Input Industries - ERS Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 763. 16 PP, March 2001 (ERS, USDA)

Economic Issues in Agricultural Biotechnology - This report analyzes the economic aspects of several key areas -- agricultural research policy, industry structure, production and marketing, consumer issues, and future world food demand -- where agricultural biotechnology is dramatically affecting the public policy agenda (ERS, USDA). Also available in pdf format (1,631 K).

Genetically Engineered Corn and the Monarch Butterfly Controversy (190 K pdf file; 19 pages) - PEW Initiative on Food and Biotechnology

Pharmaceutical Production from Transgenic Animals - University of Illinois

Transgenic Crops: Implications for Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture (pdf) - Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, Vol. 25, No. 4, August 2005, 335-353.

BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ANIMAL FEED

Insect-resistant Crops Through Genetic Engineering - University of Illinois

BIOTECHNOLOGY AND FOOD

Biotechnology and Food (22 K pdf file; 1 page factsheet) - University of Arizona

Biotechnology and Food Security. ERS Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 765-11. 2 pp, June 2001. (ERS, USDA)

Genetically Modified Crops and Foods - Council on Scientific Affairs (CSF) Report (American Medical Association)

GM Food Debate - UK - Find out more about how genetically modified food has been developed and how GM technology is used for food crops. Includes a variety of online videos explaining GM basics and the basis for the debate. (Food Standards Agency)

GM Food Opening up the Debate - UK (Food Standards Agency)

The Paradoxes of Genetically Modified Foods (43 K pdf file) An editorial in the British Medical Journal, February 1999.

IMPACT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

Biotechnology and the Health of Canadians - A Report from the Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and Health Innovation: Opportunities, Challenges and Public Policy, December 2004

FASS facts on biotech crops - Impact on meat, milk and eggs (1,971 K pdf file; 4 pages)

PUBLIC PERCEPTION

Public Perception Issues in Biotechnology - Provides information covering public perceptions of the scientific, regulatory, educational and commercial issues involving the many different aspects of biotechnology, with emphasis on the environment and agriculture.

BIOTECHNOLOGY NEWS

Biotechnology in the News - Kansas State University

Crop Watch News Service. A University of Nebraska Web site designed to help consumers and students understand agricultural biotechnology. The site contains lesson plans for teachers, basic biotechnology information for consumers, a frequently asked questions section, and a database of research information on all genetically engineered crops in North America.

Nature Biotechnology (on-line Journal)

INTERNATIONAL CONCERNS

Governing the GM Crop Revolution: Policy Choices for Developing Countries (327 K pdf file; 44 pages) - International Food Policy Research Institute

The Potential of Technology to Meet World Food Needs in 2020 - International Food Policy Research Institute

Sociopolitical Effects of New Biotechnologies in Developing Countries - International Food Policy Research Institute

AUDIO FILES

Audio files require RealPlayer (available free).

Biotechnology for Agriculture Discussions. Recorded audio segments. (National Agricultural Library, USDA)