vegetable oil uses, since the latter is the predominant market. Because even if modified
soybean oil were safe for consumption, the consumer would not be expected to be
enthralled with the thought of consuming “diesel fuel”; we can expect consumer prefer-
ences to be increasingly important, which is to be expected in affluent societies. As was
so poignantly discussed in the previous chapter, is the public is not only embracing
choices in the marketplace but are also increasingly exercising their power to boycott pro-
ducts that do not meet their standards or ideals. Therefore, biotechnology products must be
made desirable to consumers. The plant biotechnologist of tomorrow will be reminded of
this fact repeatedly.
16.5 Conclusions
We cannot foresee how the story of plant biotechnology will end. Some people have pre-
dicted that genomics will render plant biotechnology obsolete. That is, the more we under-
stand about the genomic makeup of crops and use genomics in conventional breeding
programs, the less we will need to introduce foreign DNA into plants. This prediction
seems limited by inherent genetic variation in a particular crop and not reasonable.
Although plant breeding will continue to be a valuable tool, it is still highly limited by
native genetic variation. Some people have predicted that nearly all economically important
plants will be genetically engineered a few decades from now. This prediction would likely
be hampered, at least, by regulatory statutes and practices, if nothing else. It takes millions
of dollars to move a transgenic event into deregulated status, and therefore, mainly large
companies can afford the regulatory costs, and so they have only engineered crops that
are planted over large areas. The issue of public acceptance is also at large. For example,
would people accept transgenic ornamentals? This will depend on how much value
(aesthetic and otherwise) a transgenic plant might possess over its nontransgenic counter-
part and whether biosafety can be assured. Finally, it also depends on how much value
ornamentals have and how badly people want them. Recall the Dutch tulip industry
where novel bulbs would sell for small fortunes. A valuable engineered houseplant could
change the market and public perception paradigms. What about an engineered “wild”
plant? One can imagine that a transgenic American chestnut tree that is resistant to chestnut
blight could be a highly desirable wild plant that could be somewhat disruptive to current
ecosystems by its reestablishment as a dominant tree. The American chestnut was deci-
mated in the Appalachian Mountains by blight 100 years ago and has been reduced to a
nondominant plant in the understory of forests. In the case of transgenic chestnut, the res-
toration ecologist would expect gene flow and alterations in biodiversity, which would alter
the no-gene-flow paradigm (Stewart 2004).
The brief discussion above shows how the plant biotechnologist of tomorrow not only
will need to imagine new technologies for innovation but should also have training in
ecology among other scientific subjects, as well as an understanding of human nature
and sociology. As we have seen in this book, regulatory affairs and patent law are
also very important determinants of technological development. The future of plant
biotechnology will be shaped my people who understand multiple disciplines and provide
solutions to help feed and clothe the world, as well as provide fuel, pharmaceuticals, and
yes, even fun.
16.5. CONCLUSIONS 365