Concept

2010 International Year of Biodiversity

Article, 04 December 2011
The United Nations has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity. It’s
a key reminder of how fundamental biodiversity is to the health of planetary systems as
well as human prosperity and wellbeing — and a chance for all of us to learn more.
Biodiversity — the variety of all life forms, from genes up — is vital because
diversity makes for healthy, stable ecosystems. From coral reefs to the Kalahari, these
natural 'balancing acts' are intrinsically valuable. But beyond beauty and amenity,
ecosystems also provide essential 'services' such as breathable air, clean water and
fertile soils. Fisheries, agriculture, medicine and many traditions and ways of life all
depend on biodiverse ecosystems.
Clearly, biodiversity is key not just to life on Earth, but to economies and cultures.
And for the poor, who often depend directly on land and sea for subsistence, it is literally
a lifeline.
The challenge, now and in the future, is that species are becoming extinct at an
unprecedented rate — 100 times those of pre-human times. Conserving and
sustainably using biodiversity is one of the most urgent tasks we face.
IIED has a large portfolio of biodiversity and poverty focused projects. With
partner networks, the institute provides innovative solutions to biodiversity loss, poverty
reduction and biodiversity-friendly practices at local, national and international level. The
highlights that follow will give you some idea of the range and depth of IIED’s action on
biodiversity.

Biotechnology
Biotechnology is technology that utilizes biological systems, living organisms or
parts of this to develop or create different products.
Brewing and baking bread are examples of processes that fall within the concept
of biotechnology (use of yeast (= living organism) to produce the desired product). Such
traditional processes usually utilize the living organisms in their natural form (or further
developed by breeding), while the more modern form of biotechnology will generally
involve a more advanced modification of the biological system or organism.
With the development of genetic engineering in the 1970s, research in
biotechnology (and other related areas such as medicine, biology etc.) developed
rapidly because of the new possibility to make changes in the organisms' genetic
material (DNA).
 Today, biotechnology covers many different disciplines (eg. genetics,
biochemistry, molecular biology, etc.). New technologies and products are developed
every year within the areas of eg. medicine (development of new medicines and
therapies), agriculture (development of genetically modified plants, biofuels, biological
treatment) or industrial biotechnology (production of chemicals, paper, textiles and
food).

GMO
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are living organisms whose genetic
material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering.
This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and virus genes that do not occur
in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.
Most GMOs have been engineered to withstand the direct application of
herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide. However, new technologies are now being
used to artificially develop other traits in plants, such as a resistance to browning in
apples, and to create new organisms using synthetic biology. Despite biotech industry
promises, there is no evidence that any of the GMOs currently on the market offer
increased yield, drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit.

Figure 1.45 Genetic Modified Organisms

Are GMOs safe?

 In the absence of credible independent long-term feeding studies, the safety of
GMOs is unknown. Increasingly, citizens are taking matters into their own hands and
choosing to opt out of the GMO experiment.
Are GMOs labeled?
Sixty-four countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the
countries in the European Union, require genetically modified foods to be labeled.
Canada does not require any GMO labeling.
GMOs are not currently labeled in the United States. However, the National
Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS) was published in the Federal
Register on December 21, 2018. This law, which you may have heard called the DARK
Act, is the start of mandatory GMO labeling in the United States.
It means that some—but not all—products containing GMOs will have to be
labeled by 2022. In its current form, categorical exemptions prevent this law from
delivering the meaningful protections Americans deserve.