Posted: July 18, 2007 |
Nanotechnology in food and farming is inadequately regulated |
(Nanowerk News) Nanotechnology in food and farming is inadequately regulated, say Australian researchers.
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Rural sociologist Dr Kristin Lyons of Griffith University and colleagues present a survey of possible nano-applications in agriculture and food at the Rural Futures conference in Canberra this week.
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"Despite significant investment from the agrifood sector in nanotechnologies, the need for nano-specific regulation in this area hasn't been recognised as a priority by the federal government," says Lyons.
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She says the nano-agrifood industry will be worth more than US$20 billion by 2010, with heavy investment from companies like Syngenta, Monsanto, Kraft Foods and Heinz.
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Lyons says one of the claimed agricultural benefits for nanotechnology is the development of more efficient methods of applying pesticides.
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For example, creating nano-sized versions of pesticide molecules could lead to nanopesticide emulsions that are more stable, more toxic to pests and better absorbed into plants, she says.
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But Lyons says the same characteristics that make nanopesticides desirable could also present new risks to humans or the environment.
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For example, the ability for nanoparticles to penetrate the surface of plants may mean they also penetrate into edible parts of the crop, she says.
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