The Politics of Genetically Modified Organisms in the United States and Europe

This book examines the puzzle of why genetically modified organisms continue to be controversial despite scientific evidence declaring them safe for humans and the environment. What explains the sustained levels of resistance? Clancy analyzes the trans-Atlantic controversy by comparing opposition to GMOs in the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Spain, and the United States, examining the way in which science is politicized on both sides of the debate. Ultimately, the author argues that the lack of labeling GMO products in the United States allows opponents to create far-fetched images of GMOs that work their ways in to the minds of the public. The way forward out of this seemingly intractable debate is to allow GMOs, once tested, to enter the market without penalty—and then to label them. Front Matter....Pages i-xi Introduction....Pages 1-20 The Story of Genetically Modified Organisms in the United States and Europe....Pages 21-66 The Ideology of Sound Science and Its Defense....Pages 67-95 Strategies of Resistance: Visual Depictions of Genetically Modified Organisms....Pages 97-134 Conclusions and Implications....Pages 135-161 Back Matter....Pages 163-173