Environmental Safety of Genetically Engineered Crops

Since the mid-1990s, when the technology was first introduced, the cultivation of genetically engineered (GE) crops has grown exponentially. In the U.S. alone, adoption rates for transgenic cotton, corn, and soybeans are between 70–90%. Across the globe, 14 million farmers grow GE crops in more than twenty countries. Yet many countries are discussing and debating the use and adoption of GE technology because of concerns about their impact on the environment and human health. Now, in this comprehensive handbook, a team of international experts present the scientific basis for GE crops, placing them in the context of current agricultural systems, and examining the potential environmental risks posed by their deployment. An integrated approach to an increasingly hot and globally debated topic, the book considers the past, present, and future of GE crops, and offers an invaluable perspective for regulation and policy development.

Rebecca Grumet is a Professor in the Department of Horticulture and the Graduate Programs in Genetics, and Plant Breeding, and Biotechnology at Michigan State University. James F. Hancock is the Director of the Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center at Michigan State University. Karim M. Maredia is a Professor and Program Director of the World Technology Access Program of the Institute of International Agriculture and Department of Entomology at Michigan State University. Cholani Weebadde is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Horticulture and Institute of International Agriculture at Michigan State University.