Coexistence of Genetically Modified, Conventional and Organic Crops in the Nordic Countries


Book Description

This report describes the status of adoption or preparation of regulation of coexistence between genetically modified (GM), conventional and organic crops in the Nordic countries by the end of 2006. At the time of writing the report, Denmark was the only country that had coexistence rules in place. In the other countries, coexistence legislation was in various stages of drafting and adoption, with Sweden being at the most advanced stage. The main elements included in the co-existence rules or draft regulations in the Nordic countries seem to be quite similar. However the scope of the rules and their coverage of adhering industries may differ. Also, the crop specific measures decided or considered in each country seem to differ. The report also deals with the issue of liability and compensation. Denmark has chosen to start up with a compensation scheme whereas the other countries were still considering which solution to choose at the time of writing the report. By the end of 2007 or beginning of 2008 it may be expected that at least Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland all have coexistence rules in place.




The Coexistence of Genetically Modified, Organic and Conventional Foods


Book Description

Since their commercial introduction in 1996, genetically modified (GM) crops have been adopted by farmers around the world at impressive rates. In 2011, 180 million hectares of GM crops were cultivated by more than 15 million farmers in 29 countries. In the next decade, global adoption is expected to grow even faster as the research pipeline for new biotech traits and crops has increased almost fourfold in the last few years. The adoption of GM crops has led to increased productivity, while reducing pesticide use and the emissions of agricultural greenhouse gases, leading to broadly distributed economic benefits across the global food supply chain. Despite the rapid uptake of GM crops, the various social and economic benefits as well as the expanding rate innovation, the use of GM crops remains controversial in parts of the world. Despite the emergence of coexistence between GM, organic and conventional crops as a key policy and practical issue of global scale, there is no coherent literature that addresses it directly. Governments and market stakeholders in many countries are grappling with policy alternatives that settle conflicting property rights, minimize negative market externalities and associated liabilities, maximize the economic benefits of innovation and allow producer and consumer choice. This book intends to fill these needs with contributions from the top theoreticians, legal and economic analysts, policy makers and industry practitioners in the field. As the economics and policy of coexistence start to emerge as an separate subfield in agricultural, environmental and natural resource economics with an increasing number of scholars working on the topic, the book will also provide a comprehensive base in the literature for those entering the area, making it of interest to students, scholars and policy-makers alike.




Bio-Objects


Book Description

Increasing knowledge of the biological is fundamentally transforming what life itself means and where its boundaries lie. New developments in the biosciences - especially through the molecularisation of life - are (re)shaping healthcare and other aspects of our society. This cutting edge volume studies contemporary bio-objects, or the categories, materialities and processes that are central to the configuring of 'life' today, as they emerge, stabilize and circulate through society. Examining a variety of bio-objects in contexts beyond the laboratory, Bio-Objects: Life in the 21st Century explores new ways of thinking about how novel bio-objects enter contemporary life, analysing the manner in which, among others, the boundaries between human and animal, organic and non-organic, and being 'alive' and the suspension of living, are questioned, destabilised and in some cases re-established. Thematically organised around questions of changing boundaries; the governance and regulation of bio-objects; and changing social, economic and political relations, this book presents rich new case studies from Europe that will be of interest to scholars of science and technology studies, social theory, sociology and law.




Regulation of Genome Editing in Plant Biotechnology


Book Description

This book provides in-depth insights into the regulatory frameworks of five countries and the EU concerning the regulation of genome edited plants. The country reports form the basis for a comparative analysis of the various national regulations governing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in general and genome edited plants in particular, as well as the underlying regulatory approaches.The reports, which focus on the regulatory status quo of genome edited plants in Argentina, Australia, Canada, the EU, Japan and the USA, were written by distinguished experts following a uniform structure. On this basis, the legal frameworks are compared in order to foster a rational assessment of which approaches could be drawn upon to adjust, or to completely realign, the current EU regime for GMOs. In addition, a separate chapter identifies potential best practices for the regulation of plants derived from genome editing.




Control of GMO Content in Seed and Feed


Book Description

Great efforts are made to develop and validate methods of analysis of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) contents in seed, food and feed in order to be able to comply with the new EU regulations on genetically modified food and feed and on traceability and labeling of genetically modified organisms. This report describes some of the current possibilities and limitations regarding analysis of genetically modified contents in seed and feed. This final part of this report contains an overview of the current GMO analysis situation regarding seed and feed in the individual Nordic countries.







Sustainable food production and ethics


Book Description

"Sustainability has become an issue widely debated in many countries. Given the central role of food supply and the emotional relationship that modern mankind still has to its food, sustainability is seen as a value which has to be maintained throughout food supply chains. The complexity of modern food systems invokes a variety of ethical implications which emerge from contrasts between ideals, perceptions and the conditions of technical processes within food systems, and the concerns connected to this. This book covers a broad range of aspects within the general issue of sustainable food production and ethics. Linking different academic disciplines, topics range from reflections about the roots of sustainability and the development of concepts and approaches to globalisation and resilience of food systems as well as specific ethical aspects of organic farming and animal welfare. Modern technologies which are intensely advocated by certain stakeholder groups and their societal challenges are addressed, as are many other specific cases of food production and processing, consumer perception and marketing."




Successful Agricultural Innovation in Emerging Economies


Book Description

An authoritative review of the implementation of new crop breeding technologies and their role in feeding an increasing global population.




Making Better Policies for Food Systems


Book Description

Food systems around the world face a triple challenge: providing food security and nutrition for a growing global population; supporting livelihoods for those working along the food supply chain; and contributing to environmental sustainability. Better policies hold tremendous promise for making progress in these domains.