Genes, Trade, and Regulation: The Seeds of Conflict in Food Biotechnology

by Thomas Bernauer

Agricultural (or "green") biotechnology is a source of growing tensions in the global trading system, particularly between the United States and the European Union. Genetically modified food faces an uncertain future. The technology behind it might revolutionize food production around the world. Or it might follow the example of nuclear energy, which declined from a symbol of socioeconomic progress to become one of the most unpopular and uneconomical innovations in history.


This book provides novel and thought-provoking insights into the fundamental policy issues involved in agricultural biotechnology. Thomas Bernauer explains global regulatory polarization and trade conflict in this area. He then evaluates cooperative and unilateral policy tools for coping with trade tensions. Arguing that the tools used thus far have been and will continue to be ineffective, he concludes that the risk of a full-blown trade conflict is high and may lead to reduced investment and the decline of the technology. Bernauer concludes with suggestions for policy reforms to halt this trajectory--recommendations that strike a sensible balance between public-safety concerns and private economic freedom--so that food biotechnology is given a fair chance to prove its environmental, health, humanitarian, and economic benefits.


This book will equip companies, farmers, regulators, NGOs, academics, students, and the interested public--including both advocates and critics of green biotechnology--with a deeper understanding of the political, economic, and societal factors shaping the future of one of the most revolutionary technologies of our times.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 17, 2003

Reviews

[Tracy]

p. 6: "Nelson et al. (1999), for example, have calculated that full adoption of GE corn and GE soy around the world (compared to no adoption anywhere) would result in no more than a 4.9 percent price reduction (and less than a 2 percent increase in output) for corn and a 1.7 percent price reduction (and 0.5 percent increase in output) for soybeans."

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very balanced and well researched. The author does a good job outlining his points and backing it up with good data. He makes a compelling argument that is neither for or against GE goods. I would highly recommend for anyone wanting to understand policy making in regards to GE foods and its effects.