The Future of Genetically Modified Crops: Lessons from the Green Revolution

Book Description:

Although the number of people in danger of malnutrition worldwide has decreased significantly in the past 30 years, thanks in part to the Green Revolution of the 20th century, an estimated 800 million people still lack adequate access to food. The world is now on the cusp of a second potential agricultural revolution, the so-called Gene Revolution, in which modern biotechnology can enable the production of genetically modified (GM) crops tailored to address chronic agricultural problems in specific regions of the world. This monograph report investigates the circumstances and processes that can induce and sustain this new agricultural revolution. The authors compare the Green Revolution with the current GM crop movement to assess not only the technological differences in the crops and agricultural methods of these two movements, but more generally to examine the economic, cultural, and political factors that influence whether a new agricultural technology is adopted and accepted by farmers, consumers, and governments.