NGO Discourses in the Debate on Genetically Modified Crops
The development and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has been a contentious topic for the last three decades. While there have been a number of social science analyses of the issues, this is the first book to assess the role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the debate at such a wide geographic scale.
The various positions, for and against GMOs, particularly with regard to transgenic crops, articulated by NGOs in the debate are dissected, classified and juxtaposed to corresponding campaigns. These are discussed in the context of key conceptual paradigms, including nature fundamentalism and the organic movement, post-colonialism, food sovereignty, anti-globalisation, sustainability and feminism. The book also analyses how NGOs interpret the debate and the persuasive communication tactics they use. This provides greater understanding of the complexity of negotiations in the debate and explains its specific features such as its global scope and difficulty in finding compromises.
The author assesses the long-term interests of various participants and changes in perceptions of science and in public communication as a result. Examples of major NGOs such as Greenpeace, Oxfam and WWF are included, but the author also provides new research into the role of NGOs in Russia.
Ksenia Gerasimova is a research associate and affiliated lecturer in the Centre of Development Studies, University of Cambridge and a research fellow in the Centre of Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Management, University of Cambridge, UK. She is also Professor of Public Policy at the Higher School of Economics University, Moscow, Russia.
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NGO Discourses in the Debate on Genetically Modified Crops
Ksenia Gerasimova
First published 2018
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2018 Ksenia Gerasimova
The right of Ksenia Gerasimova to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Gerasimova, Ksenia, author.
Title: NGO discourses in the debate on genetically modified crops / Ksenia
Gerasimova.
Other titles: Non-governmental organization discourses in the debate on
genetically modified crops
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2017. |
Series: Routledge explorations in environmental studies |
Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017002800| ISBN 9781138223899 (hbk) |
ISBN 9781315403502 (ebk)
Subjects: LCSH: Transgenic plantsPolitical aspects. | Transgenic plants
Social aspects. | Transgenic plantsRisk assessment. | Non-governmental
organizations.
Classification: LCC SB123.57 .G489 2017 | DDC 631.5/233dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017002800
ISBN: 978-1-138-22389-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-40350-2 (ebk)
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This book is dedicated to Miss Jean Ila Currie and her late aunt Miss Edith Whetham, the two women who inspired me to develop my interest in agriculture.
This research project has been developed under the essential support from the Cambridge Malaysian Commonwealth Studies Centre, the Cambridge China Development Trust, the Cambridge Malaysian Education and Development Trust and the John Templeton Foundation. I express my sincere gratitude to Dr Anil Seal, Fellow of Trinity College, University of Cambridge, Director of Cambridge Malaysian Education and Development Trust (CMEDT), Malaysian Commonwealth Studies Centre (MCSC), Sir Brian Heap, St. Edmunds College, University of Cambridge, Professor Peter Nolan, Founding Director of the Centre of Development Studies, University of Cambridge, and the Director of the project The Role of NGOs in the biotech policy-making for food security and climate change Dr David Bennett, Senior Member, St Edmunds College, Cambridge UK. Thank you!
The Global Food Security Strategic Initiative, University of Cambridge, has served as an important foundation for successful implementation of my research, and I express my gratitude to the Chairs Professor Howard Griffiths and Professor Chris Gilligan and the Coordinator Ms Jacqueline Garget. The Isaac Newton Trust has kindly provided necessary support at a later stage of the project.
I would like to acknowledge the funding support received from the DAAD-University of Cambridge Research Hub for German Studies with funds from the German Federal Foreign Office (FFO).
Many thanks go to Mrs Suzy Adhock, Mr Christian Theil, and Mrs Doreen Woolfrey and to all my students in MPhil in Development Studies who took Paper 600 and contributed to our discussions on genetically modified agriculture. I also thank my proofreader Mrs Sandra Boyd.
In 2012, I was searching for a new research project after reaching the final stage of my doctoral studies. My main research interest has always been NGOs. A conversation with Cambridge-based plant scientists introduced a new subject the involvement of NGOs in the debates on genetically modified (GM) crops. As with most members of the general public, those who are not biologists, I had a passing knowledge of genetic manipulation and the first image, to be honest, that would pop up in my mind would have been Mary Shelleys Frankenstein. By the end of 2013, I had embarked on a new research project, enrolling in the University of Cambridge as Research Associate in Social and Biological Studies, which by no means should suggest that I am a biologist. In reality, there was neither monster nor crazy scientists but rather a lot of interviews, talks, observations and reflections.
