Emergence of controversy in technology transitions: Green Revolution and Bt cotton in India

Ramani, Shyama V.; Thutupalli, Ajay

doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2015.06.018

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…A key feature of controversies is that they are emergent phenomena (Akrich, 1997;Ramani & Thutupalli, 2015). Emergence is defined here as "the arising of novel and coherent structures, patterns, and properties during the process of self-organization in complex systems" (Goldstein, 1999: 49).…”

Section: A Processual View Of Controversiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding controversies in digital platform innovation processes: The Google Glass case

Klein

Sørensen

Freitas

et al. 2020

Technological Forecasting and Social Change

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Due to their scaling potential and complexity, digital platforms tend to generate massive controversies and paradoxes. Previous research has generated knowledge about controversies in digital platform innovations. However, it focus mainly on the types of controversy and their effects rather than on the process of controversy emergence. In this article, we analyze how controversies related to digital platform innovation emerge and how they unfold over the innovation process. We analyze the case of the Google Glass failure to establish this ARSG (Augmented Reality Smart Glasses) extension to Google's digital platform. The paper contributes by analyzing the digital platform innovation process as a process of translation, in which there are possible controversy emergence points originated in types of disagreements among the different human actors involved and their interactions with non-human elements.These disagreements are related to specific features of digital platforms: the digital platform generativity, the multisided market arrangements in the platform; the loosely coupled layers of technologies and applications involved, and the opaqueness that results from these arrangements. The framework proposed can support digital platform scholars and practitioners to better understand and deal with controversies.

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Section: A Processual View Of Controversiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding controversies in digital platform innovation processes: The Google Glass case

Klein

Sørensen

Freitas

et al. 2020

Technological Forecasting and Social Change

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“…The fundamental platform of GR technology was hybrid seeds through conventional plant-breeding that could improve the yield of crops. Since GR, there has been a significant paradigm shift in agricultural R&D, and newer agricultural technological interventions that have emerged are based on genetic modification, relying on changing the fundamental traits of plants (Ramani & Thutupalli, 2015). This brings to the forefront three concerns of affordability, adaptability and safety.…”

Section: The Way Forward: Institutional Supportmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The government has since introduced a moratorium on GMOs until sufficient evidence proved they were safe. In 2014, the government proclaimed GM crops to be in the national interest which approved further field trials for GM rice, mustard, cotton, chickpea and brinjal (Ramani & Thutupalli, 2015). Categorization of GM as a special risk has created an uncertain investment climate that has driven out small players in the biotechnology sector (C. N. Rao et al, 2018).…”

Section: The Gm Debatementioning

confidence: 99%

Agricultural Technology for Increasing Competitiveness of Small Holders

Pingali

Aiyar

Abraham

et al. 2019

Transforming Food Systems for a Rising India

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Agricultural technology plays a vital role in building viable and sustainable food systems. The green revolution (GR) is a landmark example of how scale-neutral technology transformed agricultural production. However, one of the limitations of GR technologies was that it was concentrated to a few crops and to high potential regions where irrigation was readily available. Newer approaches to technological interventions need to help increase yields while limiting environmental externalities. In this chapter, we identify that biotechnology will be critical in productivity increase, improving resilience to climate change and reducing environmental impact. For this, there is a need for India to have more forward-looking biotechnology policy to bolster innovation towards climate change mitigation and adaptation.

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“…In the wake of India’s economic liberalization, many critics of mainstream economics viewed farmer-suicides as repercussions of dwindling protective factors such as subsidies and credit availability (Ramaswamy, 2002; Ramani & Thutupalli, 2015) or by increased cultivation costs (Patnaik, 2003). Some studies suggested that the lifting of trade barriers exposed the Indian farmers, especially cultivators of export-oriented cash crops, to the vulnerability of global trade competition (Nagaraj, 2008).…”

Section: What Is the Relevance Of Critics’ Claims Abouttransgenic Tecmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, hybridization had two drawbacks: first, the obtainment of a high crop yield requires the appropriate application of inputs together with proper irrigation (Spielman et al ., 2013) and, second, the constant and exorbitant use of fertilizers and pesticides results in soil depletion and pesticide resistance which, in turn, trigger increased usage of these chemical inputs. In the long run, such an agricultural system necessarily falls short of economic and ecological viability (Ramani & Thutupalli, 2015). …”

Section: What Is the Relevance Of Critics’ Claims Abouttransgenic Tecmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farmer-suicide in India: debating the role of biotechnology

Thomas

Tavernier

2017

Life Sci Soc Policy

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Indian Biotech opponents have attributed the increase of suicides to the monopolization of GM seeds, centering on patent control, application of terminator technology, marketing strategy, and increased production costs. The contentions of the biotech opponents, however, have been criticized for a lack of transparency in their modus operandi i.e. the use of methodology in their argumentation. The fact is, however, that with the intention of getting the attention of those capable of determining the future of GM cotton in India, opponents resorted to generating controversies. Therefore, this article will review and evaluate the multifaceted contentions of both opponents and defenders. Although the association between seed monopolization and farmer-suicide is debatable, we will show that there is a link between the economic factors associated with Bt. cultivation and farmer suicide. The underlying thesis of biotech opponents becomes all the more significant when analysed vis-à-vis the contention of the globalization critics that there has been a political and economic marginalization of the Indian farmers. Their accusation assumes significance in the context of a fragile democracy like India where market forces are accorded precedence over farmers’ needs until election time.

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Emergence of controversy in technology transitions: Green Revolution and Bt cotton in India

Cited by 16 publications

References 47 publications

Understanding controversies in digital platform innovation processes: The Google Glass case

Understanding controversies in digital platform innovation processes: The Google Glass case

Agricultural Technology for Increasing Competitiveness of Small Holders

Farmer-suicide in India: debating the role of biotechnology

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