Genetic Engineering, the Farm Crisis, and World Hunger

Jordan, Carl F.

doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2002)052[0523:getfca]2.0.co;2

Cited by 24 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Appropriate varieties for comparison to GE crops include existing, conventional, nontransgenic MVs and FVs, as well as alternatives to existing conventional MVs and FVs for achieving more sustainable agriculture, which could include varieties for organic agriculture (Jordan 2002) and transgenic FVs. It is important to compare GE crops with conventional MVs and FVs because MVs have caused much harm as well as good in the Third World (NRC 2002), and FVs have unique benefits for farmers, including adaptation to local growing environments and desired taste, but are often deficient in traits desired by farmers, such as yield and disease resistance (Brown 1999).…”

Section: Combining Risk Management With Benefit-cost Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Instead there is a polarized debate jeopardizing the development of risk management based on fact and values, thus reducing both the possibility that GE crops could benefit Third World farmers (Conway 2003) ,and the possibility of protecting these farmers from any potential costs (NRC 2002, ETC Group 2003, Hickey and Mittal 2003. It also obscures comparisons with alternatives to GE crops, e.g., organic varieties (Jordan 2002) or conventional modern varieties (MVs) (NRC 2002). Often missing in the debate about risk management are: a) a middle ground, relatively free of ideological assumptions, to more objectively evaluate both empirical data and subjective values; b) adequate information on the biophysical and social characteristics of Third World agriculture; and c) direct involvement of farmers themselves, including their knowledge and, especially in the evaluation stage, their values.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Rethinking the Risk Management Process for Genetically Engineered Crop Varieties in Small-scale, Traditionally Based Agriculture

Cleveland¹,

Soleri²

2005

E&S

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT. Proponents of genetically engineered (GE) crops often assume that the risk management used in the industrial world is appropriate for small-scale, traditionally based agriculture in the Third World. Opponents of GE crops often assume that risk management is inappropriate for the Third World, because it is inherently biased in favor of the industrial world. We examine both of these assumptions, by rethinking risk management for GE crops and transgenes, using the example of maize transgene flow from the U.S. to Mexico. Risk management for the Third World is a necessary first step of a broader benefit-cost analysis of GE crops, which would include comparisons with existing varieties and with alternative varieties such as transgenic farmer varieties and organic varieties. Our goal is to use existing information on GE crops and on the social and biological characteristics of Third World agriculture to identify key processes that need to be considered in risk management, and the additional research required to adequately understand them. The four main steps in risk management are hazard identification, risk analysis (exposure x harm), risk evaluation, and risk treatment. We use informal event trees to identify possible exposure to GE crops and transgenes, and resulting biological and social harm; give examples of farmers' ability to evaluate social harm; and discuss the possibilities for risk treatment. We conclude that risk management is relevant for Third World agriculture, but needs to be based on the unique biological and social characteristics of small-scale, traditionally based agriculture, including the knowledge and values of Third World farmers and consumers.

show abstract

Section: Combining Risk Management With Benefit-cost Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rethinking the Risk Management Process for Genetically Engineered Crop Varieties in Small-scale, Traditionally Based Agriculture

Cleveland¹,

Soleri²

2005

E&S

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This regime, aimed primarily at industrialised agriculture in rich countries and deriving profits through intellectual property in those markets, has focused on the production of plant varieties that, in order to increase yield, require increased inputs in the form not only of pesticides but also irrigation. In many places, such varieties and methods have displaced low-input varieties and methods developed locally ( [21]. The technological frame allows Syngenta to claim that consideration of such social, economic and political factors, and what they are likely to mean for any technology developed under this regime, is the problem: 'In effect, the rejection of sound science in assessing technology is denying food and income to those who would most benefit from new technologies' (Syngenta website).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As Syngenta's campaign demonstrates, 'objective' risk assessment approaches are often used to promote a technocratic approach to science and technology policy, which has been criticized on a number of political and sociological grounds [21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. For instance, such approaches neglect GMOs' impact on existing economic, political and social arrangements and on the developmental trajectory of the areas selected for implementation [27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From risk assessment to in-context trajectory evaluation - GMOs and their social implications

2011

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Over the past 20 years, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have raised enormous expectations, passionate political controversies and an ongoing debate on how these technologies should be assessed. Current risk assessment procedures generally assess GMOs in terms of their potential risk of negatively affecting human health and the environment. Can this risk-benefit approach deliver a robust assessment of GMOs? In this paper, we question the validity of current risk assessment from both a social and an ecological perspective, and we elaborate an alternative approach, namely in-context trajectory evaluation. This paper combines frame analysis, context analysis and ecosocial analysis to three different case studies.Results: Applying frame analysis to Syngenta's recent campaign 'Bring plant potential to life', we first de-construct the technosocial imaginaries driving GMOs innovation, showing how the latter endorses the technological fix of socioeconomic problems whilst reinforcing the neoliberal sociopolitical paradigm. Applying context analysis to biopharming in New Zealand, we then explore local practices and knowledge, showing that particularities of context typically omitted from risk assessment processes play a key role in determining both the risks and the potential benefits of a technology. Finally, drawing from the Italian case, we outline through ecosocial analysis how the lack of long-term studies, further aggravated by current methodological deficiencies, prevent risk assessment from considering not only how GMOs affect the environmental context but also, and most importantly, the way people live in, and interact with, this context.

show abstract

“…Since the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century, the excessive exploitation of nature has generated a threatening resource depletion (Jordan 2002;Saini et al 2015). Deforestation by anthropogenic or natural effects, such as fires, diseases, pollution or climatic changes has slowed down during the last 25 years by 0.08 %.…”

Section: Towards Deciphering the Role Of Auxin In Biotic Stress Respomentioning

confidence: 99%

In-depth analysis of jasmonate-mediated indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis and its implication in plant development

Alonso¹,

Marina²

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

AgradecimientosDespués de todos estos años, son muchas las personas a las que quiero agradecer que de una forma u otra me hayan ayudado a comenzar, continuar, seguir continuando y terminar este trabajo. Empezando por el principio del camino de esta tesis, le agradezco enormemente a la profesora Julia Kehr que me descubriera el maravilloso mundo de la bilogía vegetal, porque sin su primera oportunidad no hubiera llegado hasta hoy.También le agradezco la gran acogida que ella y su grupo me dieron en Hamburgo, en especial les agradezco a Melanie, Patrizia y Christian el grandísimo apoyo que me brindaron tanto en el laboratorio como fuera de él. Igualmente les agradezco a Lena, Anna y Steffen la paciencia que tuvieron en intentar entender mi profano nivel de alemán, así como su amable ayuda durante mi estancia en Hamburgo, una ciudad fabulosa a la que espero volver pronto. A todos vosotros "Danke schön".También quiero dar un especial y afectuoso "ganz vielen Dank" a Stephan Pollmann, quien me ofreció la oportunidad de hacer la tesis en su grupo, me guió en mi andanza científica y me enseñó, no sólo que el Schalke 04 es el mejor equipo, que un alemán puede montar en bicicleta más de 1000 km sin sentir apenas cansancio, sino que además, al final, siempre todo sale bien. Ahora después de todo mi trabajo bajo tu supervisión y parafraseando a Freddie Mercury puedo decir que "I was born to love 'YUC'". A María, por subir siempre con energía y alegría por las mañanas y por entender nuestra mala letra en la pizarra. A Laura, quien con su infinita paciencia revisó mis diseños experimentales y siempre estuvo ahí para aconsejarme en lo profesional y en lo personal, muchas muchas gracias, has sido una piedra fundamental en esta tesis. A Mar, por dejarme que la persiguiera haciéndole preguntas sobre cepas bacterianas, levaduras, clonajes etc…, pero sobre todo por ayudarme en todo. A Beatriz, o mejor dicho Bea, mi gran compañera, por ser ese gran apoyo, por ayudarme en los momentos de flaqueza, por nuestros chistes malos, por esas tardes mirando letras fijamente en una pantalla de ordenador intentando encontrar el fallo juntas, por verme diez horas al día, cinco veces por semana y querer seguir saliendo a cenar un sábado. Por todo esto mil veces gracias Bea. Espero que siempre seas overexpressor en felicidad y que cuentes conmigo para lo que sea, como compañera y amiga. A Nuria, por quedarte en el CBPG hasta las mil esperando a que terminase y salir a cenar un menú "Bikini" en el VIPS, por superar juntas los momentos "balleta", por aguantar mis paranoias y por escuchar como tú sólo lo sabes hacer. Por todo esto hoy, y espero que siempre, nos podamos llamar amigas. A Begoña, por tu optimismo sincero y porque la última parte del camino no hubiera sido la misma sin ti y tus geniales consejos. Siempre diré que eres una genial post-doc aunque tú no me creas. A Victor, por ser un DJ genialoso y pinchar mis muestras hasta el último momento. A Jose, no sólo por dejarnos sintonizar la radio que quisiéramos, sino por tener ese genial senti...

show abstract

Genetic Engineering, the Farm Crisis, and World Hunger

Cited by 24 publications

References 29 publications

Rethinking the Risk Management Process for Genetically Engineered Crop Varieties in Small-scale, Traditionally Based Agriculture

Rethinking the Risk Management Process for Genetically Engineered Crop Varieties in Small-scale, Traditionally Based Agriculture

From risk assessment to in-context trajectory evaluation - GMOs and their social implications

In-depth analysis of jasmonate-mediated indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis and its implication in plant development

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About