A Discussion of the Social Effects of Biotechnology

2015 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Role Of Technology In Agriculture

A Discussion of the Social Effects of Biotechnology

The world of work in agriculture is in a process of rapid change. While "change" is by no means alien to agriculture, something new has entered the arena which promises and/or threatens to fundamentally alter agricultural practices across the globe. Biotechnology has already begun to be implemented resulting in what may be important shifts in not only agricultural production, but indeed changes in the very makeup of agricultural products themselves. This promises to pose serious challenges and/or opportunities to farmers across the globe. However, this may of course depend where it is particular farmers stand in relation to the power and socio-economic relations surrounding biotechnology. Indeed, this new and rapidly expanding1 field of technology is by no means some "invisible hand" or politically neutral" futuristic vision" (such as that presented at Disney's EPCOT Center) that will shape the way we produce and consume food. Those who will control the manner in which biotechnology is applied to agriculture will, and indeed are, acutely shaping the social relations that are structured around it.

Biotechnology and its accompanying industries, such as genetic engineering, have become the "buzz words" of the day much in the same way nuclear energy was discussed in the early days of nuclear power. It is held up, for example, as holding the promise of solving the world's food shortages. According to major corporations involved in biotechnology, such as Monsanto2 , genetic engineering heralds the wave of the future. They argue that this technology will not only be able to provide for the world's food sources, but will likewise help preserve the environment.

Farming of th...

... middle of paper ...

...en a dramatic turn. At the end of last year, Mr Shapiro announced that the company,...would spin off the core of the firm, a chemicals business with sales of around $3 billion in sales-half from agricultural products,....However, Mr Shapiro has made it clear where he wants Monsanto to go. The firm, he believes, should be the main provider of the "agricultural biotechnology " the world will need if it is to feed itself in the future without despoiling the environment." (ibid.)

from many of the webpages which are linked to this page. Below are listed the prinicipal web-pages:

(www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/endanger.html), (www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/safebiot.html),

(www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/overseas.html), (www.ces.ncsu.edu/san/htdocs/docs/other.html), (www.soybean.com),

(www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/concept.htm), (www.caff.org), (www.oilseeds.org), (www.fsu.usda.gov/pas/default.asp)

Show More
Related

  • Analyzing Franco's Totalitarian Regime in Spain

    343 Words  | 1 Pages

    Max Gallo’s ‘Spain Under Franco’ is a comprehensive work that attempts to provide an overview of the living conditions and political dynamics in Franco’s Spain. Gallo makes extensive efforts to detail the brutal totalitarian nature of the state by saying that ‘the reprisals and executions which went on long after victory had been won [by Franco in the civil war] mark an undeniable retrogression for any civil society governed by traditional norms of law’.1 In addition, Gallo explains why Spain drifted towards an authoritarian form of government in the aftermath of World War Two instead of a democracy as Italy had done by arguing that ‘there was literally no social stratum capable of envisaging the replacement of Francoism by a democracy of

    Read More

  • Masculinity in Shakespeare's Macbeth

    574 Words  | 2 Pages

    The great masterpiece Macbeth, which is written by William Shakespeare, deals with many different hidden themes. One of the best-hidden themes in Macbeth is manhood. Shakespeare's descriptions of his characters give real descripitions of living beings, not actors upon a stage. His manuscript is able to show the masculinity of men as well of women.  Masculinity is not just for men; some women are just like men in their quest for ambition.

    Read More

  • The Management of Primary Erythromelalgia

    1202 Words  | 3 Pages

    Aoki KR. Review of a proposed mechanism for the antinociceptive action of botulinum toxin type A. Neurotoxicology 2005:26: 785-793.

    Read More

  • The Past and The Future of Spain

    828 Words  | 2 Pages

    General Franco died in the year 1975, Juan Carlos I takes the throne and became the new king of Spain. Carlos pushed a...

    Read More

  • The Social Impact of Genetically Modified Organisms and Crops

    1879 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Man has been modifying plants for over 10,00 years” (Pechan 2005). Whether man has been cross breeding or modifying, this has always been our nature since the agricultural revolution for the convenience of the farmer and the consumer. One such example of this modification is that of the potato. Potatoes have many cousins that can live in many different elemental conditions as well as have different shapes, sizes and taste (Pechan 2005). However, that process through breeding different plants is an ineffective way to farm for the convenience of the farmer and the industry as a whole. What this led to in recent times is what is called “biological technology”, or “Genetically Modified Organisms” (GMOs). The meaning of a GMO is that “scientists select one or a few genes from other organisms that have been studied previously and added into a specific living plant cell that can be regenerated into a whole plant” (Pechan 2005). However, GMO are not limited only to plants, but animals as well (Otero 2008). With current technology, scientist can now modify organisms manually so that they can have enhanced taste, repel bugs and viruses, be ingredient specific, and even better for health (Pechan 2005). With animals, GMOs can enhance the rate of growth and number (Otero 2008). However, this has turned into an ethical problem in regards to the principle of justice, human welfare, and human rights in regards to plants (Tao 2003). With GMOs, in regards to animals, it becomes an issue regarding animal rights. There is a social impact that GMOs have on people in regards to human health, environmental implications, and globalization.

    Read More

  • The Black Cat

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    My story is told from the perspective of a man who is about to be put to death. He explains how he is a very kind and gentle hearted person. He takes great pleasure in showing affection to other people and animals, so much so that his friends tease him for it. He calls this affection his “distinguishing trait”. He met his wife at a young age and they got married at a young age. She was a very kind hearted person too, so naturally, they had a lot of pets. They had a monkey, a dog, fish, birds, and a very large black cat. The narrator liked the cat especially. Pluto (the cat) was intelligent. Pluto took a liking to the narrator, probably due to the fact that he was the only one who took care of it. The narrator, an impoverished soul, was prone to taking up a drink every now and then to ease his troubled mind (much like the author of this story (Edgar Allan Poe) coincidence maybe?) and naturally his temper got a little worse. In short, the narrator started to mistreat his pets, then he started to beat his pets, then the narrator started to mistreat his wife, and beat her too. Pluto was (because he was the narrators best friend) spared for a while.

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of Monsanto's Harvest Of Fear?

    731 Words  | 2 Pages

    Monsanto scrutinizes neighboring farms, practicing their right to enforce their patent and contract. What they take into account and chose to ignore is that their genetic product is natural and cannot be controlled completely. Monsanto’s patent allows them to prosecute neighboring farms for any concentration of their patented genetic code in their crops, regardless of whether a farmer knowingly involved themselves in infringement or was the victim of natural pollination. Barlett and Steele cite the increasing number of legal cases and settlements as means of pressuring contracted farmers to follow procedure and of allegedly pressuring uncontracted farmers to sign with Monsanto to avoid

    Read More

  • Monsanto Code Of Ethics

    88 Words  | 1 Pages

    In this paper I will argue that what Monsanto is doing to argructiler is acceptable. Monsanto is the world's largest seed company speazealzing in biotechnology. Some of the modifications they do is, plant seeds to increase the harvest yield of crops, lessen the amount of pesticides used, also modify the plant to become drought resistant. Monsanto also have developed a code of ethics due to past mistakes. With the rise of Monsanto they has been several critiques about what the company is doing to our food we consume.

    Read More

  • Coincidence In Macbeth

    1003 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gender roles in Macbeths society automatically expect men to be physically and emotionally stronger than women, however, lady Macbeth plays as a juxtaposition to Macbeth; encapsulating the emasculating woman prototype. She wants to abandon all her feminine qualities as she recognises that the characteristics she wants are not acceptable for females. She asks the spirits to "unsex" (1.5 46) her and to fill her "from the crown to the toe, top-full/ Of direst cruelty" (1.5 46). It is in gaining these ‘masculine’ characteristics in Lady Macbeth ultimately attacks Macbeths biggest insecurity- his masculinity. Lady Macbeth is more ambitious and power hungry than Macbeth, and uses him as a vice for her own power conquests. It is at times when he doubts what is right and wrong for his own ambition, that Lady Macbeth uses her power of manipulation to call his manhood into question. At first, Macbeth suggests that killing the King would make him less a man and would cause him too loose his humanity, however, he changes his mind as Lady Macbeth proposes that a real man keeps promises and acts on his ambitions: "When you durst do it, then you were a man;/ And, to be more than what you were, you would/ Be so much more the man" (1.7 54-56). Macbeth therefore murders Duncan to prove that he would be defeated neither by his fear

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Monsanto

    414 Words  | 1 Pages

    Monsanto is one of the first chemical companies to apply the biotechnology industry business model to agriculture, it is also well known for their controversy in producing genetically modified seeds for crops. This kind of system concerns some stakeholders about the negative effect on the environment and ecosystem while growing GMO seeds and the possibility that it will affect health. On the other hand, the system helps some farmers in preventing loss crop yield and increasing revenue, especially farmers in developing countries, even though this is yet to be proven. (https://stakeholderdoce.wordpress.com/)

    Read More

  • To what extent is Lady Macbeth responsible for the murder of King Duncan and the downfall of Macbeth?

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...hout the play, he continually worries about his own portrayal of masculinity, something that Lady Macbeth is quick to jump upon to make him do what she wants. When Macbeth says is challenged by lady Macbeth he says that he will do anything to be a man. ’when you durst do it, then you were a man’. Lady Macbeth is tormenting Macbeth by getting inside his head. This symbolises how he is being controlled by evil and corruption. Lady Macbeth and her desires on one side and the witches on the other. This shows how the two control is entangled and entwined. The word ’man’ is used to great effect here, it shows the true desires of the heart. Macbeth wants the recognition of his achievements. Lady Macbeth’s attitude explains how this is not enough. She wants Macbeth to be king, maybe more than he does. She is pushing him forwards.

    Read More

  • Genetically Modified Food (GMOs): Annotated Bibliography

    2902 Words  | 6 Pages

    Genetically modified food’s, or GMOs, goal is to feed the world's malnourished and undernourished population. Exploring the positive side to GMOs paints a wondrous picture for our planet’s future, although careful steps must be taken to ensure that destruction of our ecosystems do not occur. When GMOs were first introduced into the consumer market they claimed that they would help eliminate the world’s food crisis by providing plants that produced more and were resistant to elemental impacts like droughts and bacterial contaminants, however, production isn’t the only cause for the world’s food crisis. Which is a cause for concern because the population on the earth is growing and our land and ways of agriculture will not be enough to feed everyone sufficiently. No simple solutions can be found or applied when there are so many lives involved. Those who are hungry and those who are over fed, alike, have to consider the consequences of Genetically Modified Organisms. Food should not be treated like a commodity it is a human necessity on the most basic of levels. When egos, hidden agendas, and personal gains are folded into people's food sources no one wins. As in many things of life, there is no true right way or wrong way to handle either of the arguments and so many factors are involved that a ‘simple’ solution is simply not an option.

    Read More

  • Biotechnology Pros And Cons

    1209 Words  | 3 Pages

    Critics, however, still argue that transgenic crops are unnatural and unhealthy. They fail to realize that food has been cross breed for desired traits since the beginning of civilization. Humans have been using conventional breeding methods to produce desired traits for thousands of years. Genetic engineering uses the same concepts that have been used and accepted for thousands of years, but refines the process into a more precise and faster process (Key, Ma, and Drake). The process is just as healthy as conventional breeding methods and has been approved by a multitude of government and regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Academy of Sciences (Facts on GMOs). They also have the potential to end world hunger and malnourishment through the possibility of added nutrients to biotech crops (Key, Ma, and Drake). Biotechnology has an endless amount of possible benefits and the potential to develop as long as it is accepted into society for what it is; the

    Read More

  • The 's Balance With Nature

    866 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning of the earth, nature was in balance, and as man multiplied, farmers’ became efficient with knowledge and new technology to feed the world through increased productivity. As the population grew in the evolution and development of society, farmers have accelerated techniques to meet those needs to feed the world through mechanization and research, allowing others to prosper in other desired fields. Modern biotechnology has made it achievable for manipulation and alteration in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene, to heighten resistance to disease, further allowing advances in medicine, including genetically modifying seed for increased food production engineered with pesticides. Society began to disapprove of these techniques, and the modern advances of farmers’ including genetically modified organisms. Accordingly, legislators’ passed laws ridding these practices, such as medicines, pesticides, fertilizers, and food additives that could be harmful to humans and the environment. Consequently, farmers’ had become so few and insignificant, no one contemplated the scarcity of food for the world; diseases, as well as starvation intensified when sustainable plants died. With the loss of soil degradation, deforesting, and overgrazing goes man 's ability to grow food crops and graze animals, to produce fiber and forests needed to nourish the world. Nevertheless, the population grew, and governments fought wars over land and water to provide for the masses; habitats were lost, the elimination of millions of people in war, disease, hunger and famine took place. Those persons (lawyers, doctors and industrialists….etc.) whom the farmers’ bestowed their positions in society could not provide food...

    Read More

  • Food Biotechnology Essay

    785 Words  | 2 Pages

    Biotechnology helps in protecting the environment,It provides crops with protection from viruses and insects by reducing the number of pesticid...

    Read More

More about A Discussion of the Social Effects of Biotechnology

Open Document