The politics of precaution : genetically modified crops in developing countries / Robert L. Paarlberg.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Paarlberg, Robert L.

Contributor:

International Food Policy Research Institute.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Crops--Genetic engineering--Government policy--Developing countries.

Crops.

Crops--Genetic engineering--Government policy.

Crops--Genetic engineering.

Developing countries.

Physical Description:

xv, 181 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Baltimore, Md. : Johns Hopkins University Press ; Washington, D.C. : published for the International Food Policy Research Institute, 2001.

Summary:

Genetically modified (GM) food crops have inspired increasing controversy over the past decade. By the mid-1990s they were widely grown in the U.S., Canada, and Argentina, but precautionary regulations continue to limit their use elsewhere. The restrictive policies of Europe and Japan toward GM crops have been much discussed. Less attention has been paid to the policies affecting the adoption of GM crops in the developing world, where their potential impact on the availability and quality of food is even greater. In this book Robert Paarlberg looks at the policy choices regarding GM food made by four important developing countries: Kenya, Brazil, India, and China. Of these, so far only China has approved the planting of GM crops. Paarlberg identifies five policy areas in which governments of developing countries can either support or discourage GM crops: intellectual property rights, biosafety, trade, food safety, and public research and investment. He notes that highly cautious biosafety policies have so far been the key reason that Kenya, Brazil, and India have hesitated to plant GM crops. These cautious policies have been strongly reinforced by international market forces and international diplomatic and NGO pressures. China has been less cautious toward GM crops, in part because there is less opportunity in China for international organizations or independent critics of GM crops to challenge official policy.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 159-168) and index.

ISBN:

0801866685

0801868238

OCLC:

46507209