Pharmaceutical crops have a mixed outlook in California
Crops are being genetically engineered to produce a wide variety of drugs, vaccines and other pharmaceutical proteins. Although these crops may open the door to less expensive and more-readily available drugs, there is concern regarding the potential for contamination of h...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
2007-04-01
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| Series: | California Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | http://calag.ucanr.edu/archive/?article=ca.v061n02p59 |
| Summary: | Crops are being genetically engineered to produce a wide variety of drugs, vaccines
and other pharmaceutical proteins. Although these crops may open the door to less
expensive and more-readily available drugs, there is concern regarding the potential
for contamination of human food and livestock feed, as well as environmental harm.
The outlook for the production of pharmaceutical crops in California currently appears
mixed. To date, 18 federal permits for field trials involving pharmaceutical or industrial
proteins have been approved in California. However, the state's farming community
and general public have thus far rejected pharmaceutical crop production, and a handful
of local governments have recently banned the cultivation of genetically modified
crops, including pharmaceutical crops. In light of the many pros and cons, three major
approaches — the precautionary approach, risk analysis and cost-benefit analysis —
could be used to move the debate about pharmaceutical crops forward. |
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| ISSN: | 0008-0845 2160-8091 |