How Are Soybeans Modified?

Soybeans are a staple of the American diet, although many people may not realize it. Parts of the soybean find their way into many of our packaged foods and personal care products. There are also many products that people consume that come directly from soy, such as tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soy milk. Most of the soy products people consume today come from genetically modified soybeans.

Instructions

• 1

  With advances in biotechnology, scientists have developed more sophisticated methods of genetic engineering. One branch of biotechnology is the genetic modification of seeds that produce the food we eat. The genetically modified soybean was one of the first vegetables to become widely available in genetically modified form. It has become one of the most popular genetically modified seeds on the market. It was engineered and patented for Monsanto, a large international company that distributes seed to farmers for growing crops. Monsanto modified the soybean's genetics not to change the flavor, but primarily for "agronomic traits," that is, for factors that would make it grow and flourish more easily, and to make them resistant to the pesticides produced by the company.

• 2

  Monsanto's genetically modified soybean was created by introducing a copy of a particular gene from strain CP4 of the agrobacterium. The DNA of conventional soybean has a gene that mirrors this replacement gene. But while that gene in the conventional soybean reacts badly to glyphosate, the genetically modified bean tolerates glyphosate well.

• 3

  The reason that tolerance to glyphosate was considered advantageous was that glyphosate is the active ingredient Roundup, a popular herbicide sold by Monsanto. By planting genetically modified soybeans that did not react negatively to Roundup, farmers could use Roundup to kill common pests that would otherwise destroy their soybeans, and the soybeans would ideally remain healthy and not be destroyed by bugs.

• 4

  Farms around the U.S. have continued to use genetically modified soybeans in increasing percentages. While merely 8 percent of soybeans cultivated for the US commercial market were genetically modified in 1997, 10 years later, 90 percent of commercially available soybeans were genetically modified. Currently, there are far more genetically modified soybeans available than organic varieties -- not only in the U.S., but worldwide.

• 5

  There is active debate as to the benefits and disadvantages of genetically modified seeds, including soybeans. Many organic farmers and advocates argue that the genetic modification of soybeans depletes the health benefits they offer to the human body. Furthermore, a second argument is a caution against genetically modified soybeans taking over the entire soybean market. If the many organic varieties of soybean are gradually filtered out of the farming system, and the single genetically engineered variety takes over, there is the possibility that a pest or disease could destroy all the soybean crops. Having different types of soybeans would ensure that some soybeans would resist disease even if other varieties gave in. This safety net would not exist if there were only one variety of soybeans in the world.