BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – In the 1970s, scientists worked out how to move genes across species. The world buzzed with possibilities for recombinant DNA. This breakthrough led agricultural scientists to eventually develop genetically modified (GM) seeds in the 1990s, which was hailed as a potential step to ending hunger by creating plants that might withstand adverse weather. Soon after, however, widespread protests of “Frankenfoods” emerged, along with a highly political debate about genetically modified organisms (GMO) that continues today.
In his new book, Fighting for the Future of Food: Activists versus Agribusiness in the Struggle over Biotechnology (University Of Minnesota Press, 2010), Illinois Wesleyan Professor of Political Studies William Munro has joined Rachel Schurman of the University of Minnesota to explore the debate over genetically modified seeds.
According to Munro, the main focus of the books is to “go beyond labels” of those involved in the debate. “These are two different adversaries from two different life worlds,” he said. “They did not and do not meet and speak to each other. I think the two sides would get better traction with one another if they understood each other, rather than label one another.”