GM Agriculture and Food Security : Fears and Facts

Efforts to improve food security in the developing world have been hampered due to myths surrounding GM agriculture. This book explores the theory, evidence and rhetoric of the impact of food production on the environment, and the impact of the environment on food production. The chapters address: food security and technology; expertise and opportunism; the promise of technology; the politicization of risk; industrial agriculture; the meaning of 'natural'; the potential of the local food movement; food labelling; genetic diversity in the agro-industrial era; sustainability and chemical application; plant vitality; and future prospects for food security. Each chapter includes a personal introduction from the authors about the issues at hand, followed by a detailed analysis with further references. The book considers the origins of concerns and then examines the evidence around the issues, and the impacts in terms of policy, regulation and agricultural practice. It also: - Refutes common consumer and environmental organization myths about biotechnology. - Highlights the importance of food security in both the developing and developed world. - Provides a pro-science approach to increasing food security. This book will be of interest to students and researchers in biotechnology, food security and public understanding of science, and also to policy makers, regulators and industry managers. Cover......Page 1 Half Title......Page 2 GM Agriculture and Food Security......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Abbreviations......Page 7 Preface......Page 9 1 Food Security and Technology: Fear Trumps Hope......Page 12 2 Expertise and Opportunism: Who Should We Listen To?......Page 26 3 The Technology Promise: How Can We Feed a World of More Than 9 Billion?......Page 43 4 The Politicization of Risk: Is It Safe?......Page 56 5 Industrial Agriculture: Who Is the Real Winner?......Page 72 6 The Nature of Natural: Whose Preferences Should Dominate?......Page 83 7 The Local Food Movement: Can We Be Self-Sufficient?......Page 92 8 Food Labelling: What Do People Want?......Page 107 9 Genetic Diversity in the Agro-Industrial Era: What Is at Risk?......Page 122 10 The Sustainability Challenge: Are We Facing a Chemical Armageddon?......Page 136 11 Plant Vitality: Will ‘Superweeds’ Strangle Our Future?......Page 152 12 The Future of Food Security: Where to From Here?......Page 163 Index......Page 174 Back_Cover......Page 184 "Myths about biotechnology have prevented it from helping improve food security in the developing world. This book explores the myths and the reality under the following headings: The Sustainability Challenge: Is science leading to a chemical Armageddon? Plant Vitality: Will 'superweeds' strangle our future? Genetic Diversity: Will science drive monoculture and destroy the common heritage of mankind? Is it Safe? The politicization of risk and impacts on food safety, Industrial Agriculture and Corporate Profits: Who is the real winner? The Local Food Movement, Expertise and Opportunism: Who should we listen to? The Nature of Natural: Whose preferences should dominate? And Food Labelling: What does it really mean?"-- Provided by publisher This book explores the myths and the reality about GM agriculture and its role in improving food security. The goal of the authors is to use this book to reconfigure the underlying architecture of public consideration of science, technology and commerce in the global food system. An array of characterizations of the space, ranging from Frankenfoods and superweeds to superfoods and miracle plants are explored. Ultimately, the aim is to open the discussion about how we can construct a factual dialogue about complex issues that uses evidence to help make better choices. The book has 12 chapters and a subject index Myths about biotechnology have prevented it from helping improve food security in the developing world. This book explores the theory, evidence and rhetoric of the impact of food production on the environment, and vice versa.