Governing the Transatlantic Conflict over Agricultural Biotechnology: Contending Coalitions, Trade Liberalisation and Standard Setting (Routledge Studies in International Business and the World Economy)

Delays in approving genetically modified crops and foods in the European Union have led to a high profile trade conflict with the United States. This book analyses the EU-US conflict and uses it as a case study to explore the governance of new technologies. The transatlantic conflict over GM crops and food has been widely attributed to regulatory differences that divide the EU and the US. Going beyond common stereotypes of these differences and their origins, this book analyses the conflict through contending coalitions of policy actors operating across the Atlantic. Governing the Transatlantic Conflict over Agricultural Biotechnology focuses on interactions between the EU and the US, rather than on EU-US comparisons. Drawing on original research and interviews with key policy actors, the book shows how EU-US efforts to harmonise regulations for agricultural biotechnology created the context in which activists could generate a backlash against the technology. In this new context regulations were shaped along different lines. Joseph Murphy and Les Levidow provide new insights by elaborating critical perspectives on global governance, issue-framing, standard-setting and regulatory science. This accessible book will appeal to undergraduate and post-graduate students, academics and policy-makers working on a wide range of issues covered by political science, policy studies, international relations, economics, geography, business management, environmental and development studies, science and technology studies. The decision of the Environment Council of the European Union (EU) to impose a moratorium on the authorization of new genetically modified crops and foods has led to a high profile trade conflict with the United States. This book analyses the EU-US conflict over GMOs and uses it to explore the governance of new a technology. Although a lot has been written about the EU-US conflict over GMOs this book discusses aspects of the case that are rarely, if ever, reported and examined. This is particularly so with respect to the roles played by various transatlantic networks of stakeholders and the links between public controversy and changes in regulatory science in the EU and the US. This book will also deal with the EU-US conflict over GMOs as a case study through which to discuss broader issues, focusing particularly on how the case contributes to our understanding of the governance of new technology 1. Global Governance Of New Technologies -- 2. 'approved Once, Accepted Everywhere' : Biotetchnology Products And Transatlantic Trade Networks -- 3. 'right To Know, Right To Choose' : Biotechnology Products And Transatlantic Civil Society Networks -- 4. Environmental Risks Of Gm Crops : The Case Of Bt Maize -- 5. Health Risks Of Gm Foods : The Concept Of 'substantial Equivalence' -- 6. The Wto Agbiotech Dispute As A Global Contest -- 7. Global Governance Of Agricultural Biotechnology. Joseph Murphy And Les Levidow. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [204]-218) And Index. This key text analyzes the EU-US conflict over GMOs and uses it to explore the governance of new a technology. Although a lot has been written about the subject, this book discusses aspects of the case that are rarely, if ever, reported and examined.