New Agricultural Biotechnology
Publication Available From Cornell
GENEVA, N.Y.—lf you are
looking for a thoughtful, bal
anced publication that answers
fundamental questions about
why genetically engineered food
crops are developed, whether
they are safe for humans and the
environment, and how they
affect the global food system,
pick up a copy of “Agricultural
Biotechnology; Informing the
Dialogue”—the newest publica
tion from the New York State
Agricultural Experiment Station
and Cornell University’s College
of Agriculture and Life Sciences
(CALS).
“The purpose of the publica
tion is to help the public become
more knowledgeable about the
issues surrounding biotechnol
ogy, and develop a common un
derstanding of its benefits and
risks,” said Anthony Shelton,
Cornell professor of entomol
ogy, and chief architect of the
publication.
The 28-page, color brochure is
being widely distributed to high
KOOIMA
. ... ... . _ COM PANT
To order toll free: 1-oUO-JZZ-0074 * www.kooima.com • Rock Valley, IA
Call to receive our FREE 2003 Forage Harvester & Combine Catalog
'X-'I Kk
Special Section
Saturday,
March 15
JOIN US IN PUBLISHING THIS
EXCITING, INFORMATION-PACKED ISSUE!
Contact your Advertising Sales Rep. or call 717-721-4416 • 717-721-4415
school science teachers in New
York State, state and federal
legislators, Cornell Cooperative
Extension educators in New
York, and grower, food, indus
try, and consumer groups across
the country.
“Educational institution can
help shed some light on the dia
logue about agricultural biotech
nology by identifying the issues
and presenting information to
the public about what we do and
do not know about these issues,”
said Susan A. Henry, the Ronald
P. Lynch Dean of CALS. She
spearheaded the publication’s
release with associate dean
James E. Hunter, director of the
Geneva Experiment Station.
“The faculty and administra
tion recognize there is a public
dialogue on agricultural biotech
nology,” Henry said. She ac
knowledges that not every one
will agree with what is written.
“Our aim is to present informa
tion in a thoughtful, balanced
way.”
|ancaster farming
The publication was also in
tended for high school students.
“Some biology teachers in
New York have avoided discuss
ing biotechnology because they
are uncomfortable with the liter
ature and the technology’s treat
ment in the popular media,”
said Shelton, who was associate
director of research at CALS
when the publication was first
conceived. “The teachers were
looking for something with bal
ance and substance. From what
we have heard from science
teachers, this brochure meets
their needs.”
The publication covers 14
broad subject areas with text,
photos and illustrations. First, it
provides background informa
tion on biotechnology, and re
views some basic concepts in
biology and agriculture, includ
ing what a gene is, how life
forms share genes, how agricul
ture developed over the last
10,000 years, and what tradi
tional plant breeding is. It iden-
Lancaster
Farming
Check
out
our
Website
11
iKV
..f&rainerim
2003
Publication Date
March 15
Advertising Deadline
March 6
Focus On
SHOW HORSE SUCCESS
• Horse training by Brian Egan.
• Improving show horse health using a new
treadmill developed at the Marion DuPont
Scott Equine Medical Center, Leesburg, VA.
• Highlights of the Steeplechase in Leesburg, VA.
• The work of farriers.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 22, 2003-D3
Agritech
Emerging Technologies In
Agribusiness
tifies some of the pioneers in the
field, and then goes on to discuss
ag biotech as it relates to food
safety, human health, the envi
ronment, and global food sys
tems, as well as the technology’s
development, control, and regu
lation. One section discusses eth
ical and religious values,
agricultural sustainability, and
the labeling of transgenic foods.
Another section reviews ag
biotech issues in the media, in
cluding transgenic papaya, the
Monarch butterfly controversy,
and Star Link corn. A two-page
glossary of terms and a list of
references is included.
Calling it “comprehensive
and balanced,” Richard Jones,
dean of research and director of
the Florida Agricultural Experi
ment Station, praised the publi
cation because it discusses
transgenics in the historical con
text of biology, genetics, and
plant improvement. "The dis
cussion of transgenics in light ol
the inherent public skepticism of
new technologies of the past is
also valuable,” he said. “It will
be a valuable resource as we ad
dress the topic with our peers,
our clientele, and the public.”
The publication is part of
CALS' ongoing effort to inform
the public about controversial
Biotech
issues. A committee on agricul
tural biotechnology appointed
by Dean Henry developed the
brochure over a period of three
years. The publication was writ
ten by Shelton, with assistance
from Cornell professors with
particular expertise: rural so
ciologist Tom Tyson, science
communication specialist Bruce
Lewenstein, educator Janet
Hawkes, animal scientist Dale
Bauman, and plant pathologist
Herb Aldwinckle. Comments by
focus groups in plant breeding
and other players on the na
tional ag biotech field were in
corporated into the final
publication. Previous prototypes
included a poster series and an
8-page brochure that was used
extensively for education and
outreach.
Other outreach efforts in
CALS’ ag biotech scries include
the “What’s In Store” flyer pro
duced with Wegman’s in 2001,
and a two-day Ag Biotech con
ference held in Ithaca in No
vember 2000 (available in video
format on-line). A shorter tri
fold on the subject of agricul
tural biotechnology produced in
conjunction with other land
erant universities will be avail
able in late January, 2003.
These efforts and other infor
mation about agricultural
biotechnology can be viewed at
ww w.ny sacs.cornell.edu/agbio
tech. Information from Cornell
is also available at www.geo
pie.cornell.edu.
Communications Services in
Geneva produced the publica
tion and is managing its distri
bution. Copies of “Informing
the Dialogue” arc available for
$3 each, plus postage, from
Communications Services, at
the NYS Agricultural Experi
ment Station in Geneva, N.Y.
(315) 787-2248, e-mail gro2
©Cornell.edu, or contact the
Cornell University Resource
Center, (607) 255-2080, e-mail
resctr@cornell.edu. Discounts
for multiple copies are available.
LESSON
WELL
LEARNED...
LANCASTER
FARMING'S
CLASSIFIED
ADS
GET RESULTS!