Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
global food systems. These MNCs have been acquiring biotech research
firms and seed marketing companies, doing the research and producing
the test results needed for official approval of their GM crops, patenting
their innovations, and suing customers for patent infringement if they
attempt to save the seeds of GM crops for subsequent use. They also
aggressively market their GM crop seed to farmers in developed and
developing nations. As a result, acreage dedicated to growing GM ver-
sions of corn and soy now far exceeds that used for growing conventional
corn and soy in the United States, Brazil, Canada, and several other
major agricultural nations. A similar trend is anticipated for GM ver-
sions of rice, alfalfa, potatoes, and other major crops that are essential to
the food and feed systems of many nations.
MNC activities also encompass a broader range of plants, animals,
and bacteria to create GM versions of these organisms that will serve as
sources of nonfood products for industrial and consumer use, such as vac-
cines, drugs, fuels, pesticides, fertilizers, plastics, building materials, and
organic agents for treating and destroying industrial wastes. Growing,
harvesting, distributing, and using these nonfood GM crops and organ-
isms in a manner that ensures their total containment so they do not
mix with or contaminate conventional food crops, or GM food crops,
and wild plants, is considered essential for safeguarding human and ani-
mal health, wildlife, and ecosystems. This presents a major challenge for
risk governance because of the technical and managerial difficulties and
costs involved in ensuring complete containment of the nonfood crops
by physical or biological means.
The Risk Discourse
Perhaps no other technology has prompted a public discourse about
its uncertainties and risks as extensively and intensely as the discourse
fueled by GM agriculture. This may be due to the intersection of sev-
eral factors, such as the aggressive promotional activities and ambitions
of powerful corporate proponents, public mistrust of risk regulators and
