
On October 27, 2017 I presented a workshop at Roma Tre University in Rome, Italy
Eater Beware: New Engineered Foods
By: Darryl Benjamin
The food industry is using gene-altering science to “improve every aspect of the food-value chain.” We will take an in-depth look at two of these techniques currently used in crops, livestock and food: nanofoods – altering the DNA of food through the insertion of nanoparticles, and CRISPR/Cas9 – selective gene editing. We’ll identify some of the products that have already reached the marketplace and look at current research and development. We’ll define and evaluate the pros and cons, similarities and differences with GMOs, and the imminent impact on farmers, consumers, agribusiness, sustainable food systems, and industrial agriculture. Who stands to gain? Who stands to lose? Benefits, unintended consequences, and social, environmental, and economic impacts will be scrutinized. This session will engage in connecting, in which participants work in pairs and compare their notes, sharing what they thought was most important (very useful for information consolidation and networking opportunity). Next, participants will take a stand — participants will have an opportunity to write a one-sentence stand. We will conclude with Share It Forward, where participants think of three people they can share this information with.
Keywords: Genetically Modified Foods, Agribusiness, Sustainability
Presentation Type: Innovation Showcase in English