Wow! eBook
Genetically Modified Food and Global Welfare
Author(s): Colin Carter (Author, Editor), GianCarlo Moschini (Editor), Ian Sheldon (Editor)
- Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
- Publication Date: July 25, 2011
- Language: English
- Print length: 431 pages
- ISBN-10: 0857247573
- ISBN-13: 9780857247575
Book Description
“Genetically modified (GM) (or transgenic) crops are produced using plant biotechnology to select desirable characteristics in plants and transfer genes from one organism to another. As a result, crops can survive under harsher conditions, costs are lowered, chemical application is reduced, and yields are improved. Scientists are introducing genes into plants that will give them resistance to herbicides, insects, disease, drought and salt in the soil. The application of modern biotechnology to crop and food production is one of the most significant technological advances to impact modern agriculture. The future of GM technology holds further promises of continued benefits. But the potential of GM product innovations has been overshadowed by significant controversy over this technology. The regulatory activism that has accompanied the diffusion of GM technology has given rise to a complex situation that is replete with obstacles for current and future GM innovations. This is particularly true for the European Union (EU), which has implemented restrictive policies that undoubtedly constrain the current status and the future potential of biotechnology. The discourse on biotechnology applied to food and agriculture is at a crossroads due to rising food prices and concerns about adequate food supplies. Over the last decade a large body of applied economics work has addressed the key questions surrounding the application of this technology to food production. It is now time to take stock of the results of these efforts, and consolidate the methodological, analytical and empirical findings. The challenge is to strengthen the consensus of what economics have to offer in the analysis of the complex issues surrounding the ongoing development of GM products for the agricultural and food sector. The task is, to provide a new perspective on the most pressing policy questions and to help foster an intellectual climate conducive to achieving meaningful progress and lasting solutions. That is the motivation for this volume. It brings together fresh insights from top agricultural economists in the areas of consumer attitudes, environmental impacts, policy and regulation, trade, investment, food security, and development.”
Editorial Reviews
Review
This compendium for economists, researchers, advanced students, and policy makers compiles methodological, analytical, and empirical findings in applied economics targeted to key questions related to genetically modified (GM) crops and the use of biotechnology in food and agriculture. Contributors are top agricultural economists from around the world, looking at areas such as consumer attitudes, environmental impact, regulation, investment, and development. After an international overview and a review of emerging biotechnology applications in agriculture, chapters investigate areas such as GM crops and global food security, current and potential farm-level impacts of GM crops in developing countries, biotechnology in India and China, and the contributions of public and private R&D to biotechnology innovation. Other areas explored are spatial pricing of GM hybrid corn seeds, biotechnology and biofuel, and the effect of GM labeling regimes on market outcomes. Carter is affiliated with the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California. –Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR
About the Author
Colin Carter – University of California, Davis
GianCarlo Moschini – Iowa State University
Ian Sheldon – Ohio State University
GianCarlo Moschini – Iowa State University
Ian Sheldon – Ohio State University
