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2016 | Buch

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Genetically Modified Crops and Agricultural Development

verfasst von: Matin Qaim

Verlag: Palgrave Macmillan US

Buchreihe : Palgrave Studies in Agricultural Economics and Food Policy

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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This book analyzes the impacts of current and possible future GM crop applications and shows that these technologies can contribute substantially to sustainable agricultural development and food security.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Introduction

Abstract

What are the goals and priorities of agricultural development? Answers to this question can be diverse. Depending on who is being asked, the list of priorities may include food security, poverty reduction, supply of biofuels, soil conservation, biodiversity preservation, climate protection, animal welfare, attractive rural landscapes for recreation, and many other things. People in Western Europe will likely answer differently from people in South Asia or sub-Saharan Africa because of different living standards, cultural backgrounds, and attitudes. Also within regions, priorities may differ between rich and poor, urban and rural, young and old, men and women, and so on. Moreover, responses to the question about goals and priorities today would probably be quite different from responses 20 or 50 years ago. However, in spite of the many nuances and changes in priorities and preferences over time, there are a few overarching goals of agricultural development that persist and that constitute the foundation for this book. I focus on three goals in particular and shall analyze how far genetically modified (GM) crops can contribute to achieving these goals.

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Chapter 2. Plant Breeding and Agricultural Development

Abstract

Striving for sufficient food has always been at the heart of human existence. This chapter explores how humankind has evolved from scavenging to hunting and gathering and finally to producing food in a systematic manner. Plants have been at the center of this process as they, directly and indirectly, provide virtually all of our food. While initially almost all humans were inevitably involved in the sourcing of food, the start of agriculture made it possible for people to pursue other occupations, marking the beginning of civilization. Given the subsequent explosion of the world population, it has always been the prime objective of agriculture to increase the supply of food. I outline the fundamental advances in agricultural technology that have made sufficient food production growth possible in the past, also discussing related economic, social, and environmental implications.

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Chapter 3. Potentials and Risks of GM Crops

Abstract

Agenetically modified (GM) crop is a plant used for agricultural purposes into which genes coding for desirable traits have been inserted through genetic engineering. The term genetic modification is somewhat misleading, as it implies that plants had not been genetically modified before techniques of genetic engineering were developed. As described in chapter 2, humans have modified the genetic makeup of plants since the beginnings of agriculture. Without the initial cultivation of plants, our cereals would still be seed-shedding wild grasses and our potatoes small, toxic lumps. Without systematic selection, our maize would be unrecognizable, and sugarbeets would not exist in their known form. Without scientific plant breeding, our crops would be relatively inefficient nutrient converters and susceptible to countless diseases and pests. All of these developments represent genetic modifications of crops, which would not have occurred naturally without human intervention. And without these interventions by breeders, agricultural yields would only be a fraction of what they are today. It is thus not the genetic modification of plants that is new, but some of the methods involved in achieving this modification (Kloppenburg, 2004; Becker, 2011).

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Chapter 4. Adoption and Impacts of GM Crops

Abstract

While in chapter 3, potentials and risks of GM crops were discussed, this chapter takes a closer look at what we know about actual impacts in different situations. As GM crops have already been used commercially for 20 years, a large number of impact studies exist, looking at GM crop effects on farmers’ yields, pesticide use, income, poverty, and wider implications for sustainable development. I will first provide an overview of the adoption of GM crops in different parts of the world, before reviewing the evidence about impacts. Impacts can be analyzed ex post, based on actual observations, or ex ante, based on expert assumptions and simulations of likely future scenarios. In this chapter, I review ex post impact studies of already commercialized GM crops. A few ex ante studies for future GM crop applications are discussed in chapter 5.

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Chapter 5. New and Future GM Crop Applications

Abstract

The previous chapter has shown that the cultivation of GM crops has increased rapidly during the last 20 years with sizeable areas in North and South America, Asia, and to a lesser extent in Africa. However, of the 182 million hectares under GM crops in 2014, 99 percent were grown with only four different crop species (soybean, maize, cotton, and canola) and two modified traits (herbicide tolerance and insect resistance). Almost all of the GM crops available so far were developed and commercialized by the private sector.

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Chapter 6. GM Crop Regulation

Abstract

GMOs are more heavily regulated than any other agricultural technology. The regulation focuses primarily on the assessment and management of biosafety and food safety risks. Other important areas of regulation include labeling requirements for GM foods, as observed in some countries, and, related to labeling, rules of coexistence to facilitate segregation of supply chains for GM, conventional, and organic crops. Another area of regulation with immediate relevance for GM crops are intellectual property rights (IPRs) for biological materials and technolo-gies. In this chapter, I review regulatory approaches and discuss the wider implications for GMO research, commercialization, international agricultural trade, and market structure in the biotech industry.

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Chapter 7. The Complex Public Debate

Abstract

Public attitudes toward GM crops are predominantly negative. This is especially true in Europe, but European perceptions have also spread to other parts of the world. Many people do not only believe but are strongly convinced that GMOs do not bring any benefits for farmers and consumers. Instead, GMOs are seen as a technology that is dangerous for human health and the environment and that contributes to monopolies and corporate control of the food chain, thus causing new dependencies and other social problems. The empirical evidence discussed in previous chapters clearly shows that this notion is wrong. Commercialized GM crops have already produced significant benefits for farmers, consumers, and the environment, and they have an unblemished safety record. Thirty years of risk research also suggest that GM crops are not inherently more risky than conventionally bred crops. If used inappropriately, GM crops can create certain problems, but the same holds true for any other technology. How comes then that public perceptions differ so vastly from the scientific evidence and that this rift has actually further increased over time? The answer is that a huge protest industry against GMOs has emerged since the 1990s. This protest industry strongly influences public opinions and policymaking.

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Chapter 8. Conclusions

Abstract

In spite of notable progress in global hunger and poverty reduction over the last few decades, way too many people in developing countries are still not able to satisfy their basic needs. Close to eight hundred million people are undernourished and do not have sufficient access to calories, most of them living in Asia and Africa. Urbanization tendencies notwithstanding, around 75 percent of the undernourished people reside in rural areas where they directly depend on agriculture as a source of income and employment. In addition to insufficient calorie intakes, micronutrient malnutrition is a serious issue. Around two billion people suffer from deficiencies in specific minerals and vitamins. These forms of malnutrition are a humanitarian disaster. They contribute to numerous infectious diseases, involve physical and mental retardation, and are the leading causes of child mortality in developing countries. Undernutrition and micronutrient malnutrition also cause huge economic costs, obstructing growth and development. Addressing these problems needs to be on top of the global development agenda.

Matin Qaim

Backmatter

Titel: Genetically Modified Crops and Agricultural Development
verfasst von: Matin Qaim
Verlag: Palgrave Macmillan US
Electronic ISBN: 978-1-137-40572-2
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-56167-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137405722

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Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Introduction

Chapter 2. Plant Breeding and Agricultural Development

Chapter 3. Potentials and Risks of GM Crops

Chapter 4. Adoption and Impacts of GM Crops

Chapter 5. New and Future GM Crop Applications

Chapter 6. GM Crop Regulation

Chapter 7. The Complex Public Debate

Chapter 8. Conclusions

Backmatter

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