Genetically Modified Food

The GM debate is as much a war of words as of facts. Food and farming are being changed forever - yet whether for good or bad is the subject of an increasingly bitter argument. Those promoting GM have mounted an intense campaign, characterising their opponents as terrorists and Luddites, governed by ignorance, irrationality and hysteria. Yet public opinion remains unconvinced and antagonistic. As the argument intensifies and the voices on all sides get louder, Genetically Modified Language cuts through the confusion and controversy to the issues and ideology at the heart of the disagreement.Guy Cook subjects the language of the case for GM to a careful and detailed examination. He looks in turn at the persuasive strategies used by politicians, scientists, the media, biotechnology corporations, and supermarkets, showing how their arguments mix together scientific, commercial, ethical and political criteria, and are seldom as factual and straightforward as they claim. Through analyses of recurrent words and phrases, and of the constant comparisons made with other international issues, he shows how the GM debate has become inseparable from the wider political conflicts of our time. In a final chapter he turns to public reactions to all of the arguments.Throughout this analysis, the campaign for GM is seen as exemplifying disturbing trends in the contemporary use of language for public information. Language which purports to seek clarity and neutrality, and to be a vehicle for informed democratic debate, is in fact achieving the opposite effects: obscuring the issues and manipulating opinion.Written in a clear, accessible style and drawing on illustrative examples, Genetically Modified Language is an insightful look at how language shapes our opinions.

'Why have GM Foods become so controversial? Comparing GM food politics in the US, Britain, and the European Union, Toke draws on insights from discourse analysis to help explain this basic political struggle of our time. By stressing the interplay between the material and discursive dimensions involved in the shaping of the conflict, the work offers a detailed account that enriches our political understanding of these 'Frankenfoods' on a variety of fronts, in particular the interplay between scientific expertise and citizens politics. Those interested in the 'risk society', both students and specialists, will find much to learn from this perceptive analysis.' Professor Frank Fischer , Rutgers University, USA The Politics of GM Food compares and explains how differing political outcomes have occurred regarding GM food and crops in the UK, USA and the EU, thus throwing light on the relationship between science and politics.

Investigates the circumstances and processes required to establish the new Ogene Revolutiono in which genetically modified crops are tailored to address chronic agricultural problems in specific regions of the world.

You can never have too many vitamins, until they kill you. Eat meat, but avoid beef, chicken, turkey, and pork. Packaged foods are more efficiently preserved than they were 100 years ago--but should we actually eat the stuff? Consumers are besieged with conflicting messages about food and nutrition, making it difficult for the average customer to know what to believe. Is anything safe at McDonald's? Do carbohydrates cause obesity? This provocative new resource explores 15 common controversies in the field of food and nutrition.

In this provocative work, Thomas DeGregori explores many of the revolutionary technological advances of the past century, especially those in agriculture.

This work addresses some of the key advances that have been made in agrochemical biotechnology and the safety evaluation strategies that are being employed to ensure that the consumer is adequately protected.

"This collection is a comprehensive approach in two senses: in capturing the institutional, social, and cultural dimensions of biotechnology, and in emphasizing the contingencies of biotechnology stemming from power relations within the industry and within society at large."--Philip McMichael, author of "Development and Social Change: A Global Perspective

""Engineering Trouble addresses an important and timely issue of significant interest to social scientists and policy makers. The authors cover the range of political, economic, social, and moral forces which are both shaping and being shaped by this new technology."--William Lacy, coauthor of "Plants, Power, and Profit: Social, Economic, and Ethical Consequences of the New Biotechnologies

The volume examines the convergence of biotechnology and communication systems and how this convergence directly influences our understanding of the nature of communication. For scholars/students in science communication, cultural studies, information technologies, and sociology.