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Forests and Genetically Modified Trees

Year of publication 2010

Author Office of Assistant Director-General (Forestry Department)

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) The world’s forests generate substantial economic benefits, and also provide countless ecosystem services and social, cultural and spiritual benefits on which it is more difficult to place an economic value. Aside from being a source of fibre, forests help protect air and water quality, mitigate climate change by storing vast quantities of carbon, and provide a home, temple and playground for many people. Because of these intangible values and the long life span of trees, it is imp ossible to treat forests as a commodity within an agricultural model. The gap between forests and agricultural systems has become especially clear in the context of genetic engineering. The successful introduction of genetic engineering in agriculture, albeit for a limited number of traits and species, prompted forest scientists and managers to consider its use as a management and production tool in forestry. This subject has generated heated debates and violent reactions, which have often lacked the support of objective information. Furthermore, the existing scientific information has been contradictory, allowing for questions concerning its credibility. The competitive zeal of some biotechnology owners has added more fuel to the debate. In the course of this debate, the term ‘biotechnology’ has often been wrongly used as synonymous with genetic engineering. In light of this confusion, the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) has formed a task force to address genetic engineering in forestry. Its mandate is to report and present factual information covering both the scientific and social dimensions of genetic engineering technology (also known as genetic transformation, gene technology or genetic modification). This publication, developed under the auspices of the IUFRO task force, has been created to present independent information gathered from the world’s leading experts on the many facets of this subject.

Language English

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