The Genetics Controversy - Agri-culture: Reconnecting People, Land and Nature - page 140

and social consequences. Solving these problems has often meant treating
the symptoms rather than the underlying problems. In this process of
technological determinism, technology is seen as a 'cure-all' for problems;
the tendency is to address the symptoms rather than underlying causes.
Miguel Altieri of the University of California at Berkeley is worried that
'biotechnology is being pursued to patch up the problems caused by previous agrochemical
technologies (pesticide resistance, pollution, soil degradation) which were promoted by the
same companies now leading the bio-revolution'. 27
To what extent, then, are commercially cultivated genetically modified
organisms currently contributing to transitions towards sustainability? It
is important to note that not all commercially cultivated genetically
modified organisms are alike in their outcomes, despite what some
individuals say about genetically modified organisms both increasing yields
and reducing agrochemical use. Unconditional claims by companies, or
by industry-funded research, have fostered further questions about the
efficiency of genetically modified technologies. For every company press
release or aligned report that indicates substantial yield and environmental
benefits, there is another report that suggests problems with the tech-
nology. It is impossible to draw any firm conclusions from either side. 28
Well-designed and independent research takes longer to conduct
and write up, and it was only after a few years of cultivation that field-
based evidence appeared. Independent research from the Universities of
Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin
conducted during 1999-2000, together with some reports from the US
Department of Agriculture and the US Environmental Protection
Agency, indicated a highly mixed performance in the field, including some
agronomic surprises. This literature does not support the US Senate
Committee on Science's broad contention that 'the current generation of pest-
resistant and herbicide-tolerant agricultural plants produced by biotechnology has reduced
chemical inputs and improved yields' . In reality, there were some substantial
increases in herbicide use and some falls, and there were some significant
reductions in total insecticide use - although this amounted to relatively
little on a per hectare basis. 29
Genetic Modification: Driver of Corporate Power
or Friend of Farmers?
Another contested issue relates to the rapidly changing structure of world
agriculture, especially the vertical integration of corporations, and the
growing concentration at every stage of the food chain. There are fewer