BIOL 104 Botany: Genetics

GMOs Decoded by Sheldon Krimsky; Robert Gottlieb; Marion Nestle The debate over genetically modified organisms: health and safety concerns, environmental impact, and scientific opinions. Since they were introduced to the market in the late 1990s, GMOs (genetically modified organisms, including genetically modified crops), have been subject to a barrage of criticism. Agriculture has welcomed this new technology, but public opposition has been loud and scientific opinion mixed. In GMOs Decoded , Sheldon Krimsky examines the controversies over GMOs--health and safety concerns, environmental issues, the implications for world hunger, and the scientific consensus (or lack of one). He explores the viewpoints of a range of GMO skeptics, from public advocacy groups and nongovernmental organizations to scientists with differing views on risk and environmental impact. Krimsky explains the differences between traditional plant breeding and "molecular breeding" through genetic engineering (GE); describes early GMO products, including the infamous Flavr Savr tomato; and discusses herbicide-, disease-, and insect-resistant GE plants. He considers the different American and European approaches to risk assessment, dueling scientific interpretations of plant genetics, and the controversy over labeling GMO products. He analyzes a key 2016 report from the National Academies of Sciences on GMO health effects and considers the controversy over biofortified rice (Golden Rice)--which some saw as a humanitarian project and others as an exercise in public relations. Do GMO crops hold promise or peril? By offering an accessible review of the risks and benefits of GMO crops, and a guide to the controversies over them, Krimsky helps readers judge for themselves.

GMO Food by David E. Newton Providing an exhaustive background on the history of genetically modified organism (GMO) crops and foods as well as the controversies surrounding these products, this book allows readers to develop their own particular viewpoint on the production and use of GMO substances. * Presents both historical and current views of the topic that provide readers with a neutral presentation of the hard science as well as the social issues in question * Includes perspective essays written by individuals with expertise in issues related to the production and distribution of GMO foods in the United States and other parts of the world * Assesses the long-existing differences in attitudes toward the development and commercialization of GMO foods and crops in the United States versus in the European Union * Addresses the ongoing debate regarding whether and how genetically modified products should be labeled for sale

Seeds, Science, and Struggle by Abby J. Kinchy Study of social protest against genetically engineered food. Rather than consider politicization of the regulatory system, she takes a close look at the scientization of public debate about the contamination of crops resulting from pollen drift and seed mixing. Advocates of alternative agriculture confront the scientization of this debate by calling on international experts, carrying out their own research, questioning regulatory science in court, building alternative markets, and demanding that their governments consider the social and economic impacts of the new technologies. Kinchy focuses on social conflicts over canola in Canada and maize in Mexico, drawing out their linkages to the global food system and international environmental governance. The book ultimately demonstrates the shortcomings of dominant models of scientific risk governance, which marginalize alternative visions of rural livelihoods and sustainable food production.

Garden Genetics by Elizabeth Rice; Marianne Krasny; Margaret E. Smith It uses a series of activities and inquiry-based experiments with familiar foods to teach genetics while helping students make connections to ecology, evolution, plant biology, and even social science. What makes Garden Genetics unique is its emphasis on modern food-plant-based situations.