Global Perspectives on Insect Resistant Genetically
Modified Crops
Dr. Tony Shelton, Professor, CALS International Professor, College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Entomology, Cornell
University
ABSTRACT
Insects are a limiting factor in the production of food and fiber crops
globally. The protection of these crops has traditionally relied on
various approaches, with the use of synthetic insecticides being a
dominant tactic. With the advent of genetic engineering, insecticidal
proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are being
expressed in cotton and corn. First commercialized in 1996, in 2012
these Bt crops were grown on 69.8 million hectares in 27 countries
and have replaced much of the use of traditional insecticides.
Considerable efforts have examined the environmental and human health risks of these crops and found
them to be much safer than alternative strategies. However, Bt crops have become caught in the
middle of a global debate about food, crop production, cultural values, multinational corporations, and
the role of science in society.
BIOGRAPHY
Tony Shelton is a Professor in the Department of Entomology at Cornell University's NYS Agricultural
Experimental Station in Geneva, NY where he also serves as Associate Director of Research and
Associate Director of the Experimental Station. He is responsible for developing sound insect pest
management strategies for vegetables with spin-offs for other crops. Components of his program stress
insect population ecology, biological control, plant resistance, agricultural biotechnology, insecticide
resistance, insect movement, trap cropping, and plant productivity and marketability as a function of
insect infestations. In the last 15 years, a considerable amount of his effort has been devoted to risk
assessment of insect management strategies, especially insect-resistant genetically engineered crops.