Skip to main content
Log in

Genetically Engineered (GE) Crops: A misguided strategy for the twenty-first century?

  • Thematic Section
  • Published:
Development Aims and scope

Abstract

Increasingly, genetically engineered (GE) crops are promoted as a ‘twenty-first century’ agricultural strategy. From trade negotiations of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership to international climate negotiations, GE crops are endorsed as a major solution to hunger and malnutrition, as well as for climate change mitigation and adaptation. This article addresses some of the central concerns that many have about GE crops, and proposes more promising, immediate alternatives.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • African Insect Science for Food and Health (ICIPE) (2014) ‘Climate-Smart Push-Pull: Resilient, adaptable conservation agriculture for the future’, unpublished report, ICIPE: Nairobi.

  • Attig, George A., Suttilak Smitasiri, Krich Ittikom and Sakorn Dhanamitta (1993) ‘Promoting Home Gardening to Control Vitamin A Deficiency in Northeastern Thailand’, in J.L. Albert (ed.) Food, Nutrition and Agriculture 7: Strategies to combat micronutrient deficiencies. Rome: FAO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailey, Robert (2011) ‘Growing a Better Future: Food justice in a resource-constrained world’, unpublished report, Oxfam International: UK.

  • Barker, Debbie (2011) The Wheel of Life: Food, climate, human rights, and the economy. Washington DC: Heinrich Böll Stiftung.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barlow, Maude (2010) ‘Access to Clean Water is Most Violated Human Right’, The Guardian, 21 July.

  • Benbrook, Charles M. (2012) ‘Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use in the US – The First Sixteen Years’, Environmental Sciences Europe 24: 24–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Black, Robert E., Cesar G. Victora, Susan P. Walker, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Parul Christian, Mercedes de Onis, Majid Ezzati, Sally Grantham-McGregor, Joanne Katz, Reynaldo Martorell and Ricardo Uauy (2013) ‘Maternal and Child Undernutrition and Overweight in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries’, Lancet 382 (9890): 427–451.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradsher, Keith and Andres Martin (2008) ‘World’s Poor Pay Price as Crop Research is Cut’, The New York Times, 18 May.

  • Ceccarelli, Salvatore (2012) ‘Living Seed – Breeding as Co-Evolution’, Seed Freedom: A Global Citizens’ Report, New Delhi: Navdanya. October.

  • Center for Food Safety (2014) Center for Food Safety Comments, Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0195-0427, 30 June.

  • Cook, Lynn J. (2002) ‘Millions Served’, Forbes, 23 December.

  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2004) Environmental Fate and Effects Division’s Risk Assessment for the Registration Eligibility Document for 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2,4-D). Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 24 May.

  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2014) ‘Propazine; Receipt of Application for Emergency Exemption, Solicitation of Public Comment’, 79 FR 34736. 18 June.

  • ETC Group (2010) ‘Capturing “Climate Genes” ’, unpublished report, ETC Group.

  • FAO (2007) Water at a Glance. Rome: FAO.

  • FAO (2012) The State of Food Insecurity in the World. Rome: FAO.

  • Farm Industry News (2013) ‘Glyphosate-Resistant Weed Problem Extends to More Species, More Farms’, 29 January.

  • Doherty, Ann (2010) ‘Who Benefits from GM Crops?’, unpublished report, FOEI: the Netherlands.

  • Garry, Vincent F., Dina Schreinemachers, Mary E. Harkins and Jack Griffith (1996) ‘Pesticide Appliers, Biocides, and Birth Defects in Rural Minnesota’, Environ Health Perspect 104 (4): 394–399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gathura, Gatonye (2004) ‘GM Technology Fails Local Potatoes’, The Daily Nation 29 January.

  • GMWatch (2014) ‘Non-GM Successes: Drought tolerance’.

  • Goodman, Major M. (2002) ‘New Sources of Germplasm: Lines, transgenes, and breeders’, in J.M. Martinez R., F. Rincon S. and G. Martinez G. (eds.) Memoria Congresso Nacional de Fitogenetica pp 28–41, Saltillo, Mexico: Univ. Autonimo Agr. Antonio Narro.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gouse, Marnus, Johann Kirsten and L. Jenkins (2002) BT Cotton in South Africa: Adoption and the impact on farm incomes amongst small-scale and large scale farmers. Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development University of Pretoria.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gouse, Marnus, Johann Kirsten, Bhavani Shankar and Colin Thirtle (2005) ‘Bt Cotton in KwaZulu Natal: Technological triumph but institutional failure’, AgBiotechNet 7 (134): 1–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant, Hugh (2007) ‘The Role of 21st Century Agriculture: Beyond food and fuel’, Keynote Address at World Food Prize Norman E. Borlaug International Symposium, Des Moines, IA: Monsanto, 18 October.

  • Gurian-Sherman, Doug (2009) Failure to Yield: Evaluating the performance of genetically engineered crops. Washington DC: Union of Concerned Scientists.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurian-Sherman, Doug (2012) High and Dry: Why genetic engineering is not solving agriculture’s drought problem in a thirsty world. Cambridge, MA: Union of Concerned Scientists.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heinemann, Jack A., Melanie Massaro, Dorien S. Coray, Sarah Zanon Agapito-Tenfen and Jiajun Dale Wen (2013) ‘Sustainability and Innovation in Staple Crop Production in the US Midwest’, International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 12 (1): 71–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herzog, Tim (2005) Navigating the Numbers: Greenhouse gas data and international climate policy. Washington DC: World Resources Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) (2009) Agriculture at a Crossroads: Global summary for decision makers. Washington DC: Island Press.

  • International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) (2012) ‘Orange Sweet Potato provide Vitamin A in Africa’, Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health Blog, 24 August.

  • International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (2014) ‘Background’, The Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa Initiative.

  • International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (2014a) ‘What is the Status of the Golden Rice Project Coordinated by IRRI?’, The Golden Rice Project FAQs.

  • International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (2014b) ‘Clarifying recent news about Golden Rice’, Golden Rice Blog, 21 February.

  • McDougall, Phillips (2011) The Cost and Time Involved in the Discovery, Development and Authorization of a New Plant Biotechnology Derived Trait, A Consultancy Study for Crop Life International. Midlothian, UK: CropLife International. September.

  • National Agriculture Statistics Service (2010) ‘Quick Stats’, online agricultural records database managed by United States Department of Agriculture.

  • New Scientist Magazine (2000) ‘Feeding Africa’, 27 May.

  • Plumer, Brad (2014) ‘How Much of the World’s Cropland is Actually Used to Grow Food?’, Vox updated 21 August.

  • Portillo, Zoraida (2012) ‘GM cassava study retracted over “missing” data’, SciDev.Net, 26 September.

  • Pretty, Jules (2009) ‘Can Ecological Agriculture Feed Nine Billion People?’ Electronic journal publication.

  • Pschorn-Strauss, Elfrieda (2005) ‘Bt cotton in South Africa: The case of the Makhathini farmers’, Seedling 26 (April): 13–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reeves, William R. and Todd A. Pester (2010) ‘Petition for the Determination of Non-Regulated Status for MON 87460’, St. Louis, MO: Monsanto.

  • Research Into Use (2007) ‘Life is Sweet with New Sweet Potato Varieties’, in CPP20, New Technologies, New Processes, New Policies: Tried-and-Tested and Ready-to-Use Results from DFID-Funded Research. Kent, UK: Research Into Use Programme, 6–17.

  • Samanic, Claudine, Jennifer Rusiecki, Mustafa Dosemeci, Lifang Hou, Jane A. Hoppin, Dale P. Sandler, Jay Lubin, Aaron Blair and Michael C.R. Alavanja (2008) ‘Cancer Incidence Among Pesticide Applicators Exposed to Dicamba in the Agricultural Health Study’, Environ Health Perspect 114 (10): 1521–1526.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schinasi, Leah and Maria E. Leon (2014) ‘Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Occupational Exposure to Agricultural Pesticide Chemical Groups and Active Ingredients: A systematic review and meta-analysis’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 11 (4): 4449–4527.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Science Daily (2011) ‘Waterhemp Rears Its Ugly Head … Again’, 26 January.

  • Stauffer, Caroline (2014) ‘UPDATE 1-Brazil Farmers say GMO Corn no Longer Resistant to Pests’, Reuters, 28 July, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/28/brazil-corn-pests-idUSL2N0Q327P20140728, accessed 15 September 2014.

  • Stern, Nicholas H. (2009) The Economics of Climate Change the Stern Review. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stone, Glenn D. (2012) ‘Bt Cotton, Remarkable Success, and Four Ugly Facts’, Food, Farming & Biotechnology Blog, 12 February.

  • Tanner, Caroline M., G. Webster Ross, Sarah A. Jewell, Robert A. Hauser, Joseph Jankovic, Stewart A. Factor, Susan Bressman, Amanda Deligtisch, Connie Marras, Kelly E. Lyons, Grace S. Bhudhikanok, Diana F. Roucoux, Cheryl Meng, Robert D. Abbott and J. William Langston (2009) ‘Occupation and Risk of Parkinsonism: A multicenter case-control study’, Arch Neurology 66 (9): 1106–1113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thapa, Dipti and Marjory-Anne Bromhead (2010) The Hague Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change, Opportunities and Challenges for a Converging Agenda: Country Examples, issue brief, Conference ed., The Hague, the Netherlands: World Bank.

  • United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (2013) ‘Dow AgroSciences Petitions for Determinations of Nonregulated Status for 2,4-D-Resistant Corn and Soybean Varieties: Draft environmental impact statement’, Riverdale, MD: USDA, APHIS.

  • Water Resources Group (2009) Charting Our Water Future-Water-Resources-Climate Change-Water, McKinsey & Company in conjunction with World Bank.

  • World Bank (2009) ‘Climate Smart’ World Within Reach, Says World Bank, Press Release 9 November.

Download references

Authors

Additional information

Addresses some of the central concerns that many have about genetically-engineered crops and proposes more promising, immediate alternatives

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Barker, D. Genetically Engineered (GE) Crops: A misguided strategy for the twenty-first century?. Development 57, 192–200 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1057/dev.2014.68

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/dev.2014.68

Keywords

Navigation