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　　3/27 A letter from Zhang Lubiao

Hope it is of interest to you on GMO issues... 

Lubiao 

"This is the first major empirical study that sheds light on the policy dynamics influencing the adoption of biotechnology in developing countries. The analytical framework and the wealth of new information make it both original and substantive. In addition, the study is an honest and candid account of trends in developing countries. This is an important book that will inspire the practitioner, challenge the academic, satisfy the curious, and appease the bewildered." 
-- Calestous Juma, Harvard University

Genetically modified (GM) food crops have inspired increasing controversy over the past decade. By the mid-1990s they were widely grown in the U.S., Canada, and Argentina, but precautionary regulations continue to limit their use elsewhere. The restrictive policies of Europe and Japan toward GM crops have been much discussed. Less attention has been paid to the policies affecting the adoption of GM crops in the developing world, where their potential impact on the availability and quality of food is even greater.

In this book Robert Paarlberg looks at the policy choices regarding GM food made by four important developing countries: Kenya, Brazil, India, and China. Of these, so far only China has approved the planting of GM crops. Paarlberg identifies five policy areas in which governments of developing countries can either support or discourage GM crops: intellectual property rights, biosafety, trade, food safety, and public research and investment. He notes that highly cautious biosafety policies have so far been the key reason that Kenya, Brazil, and India have hesitated to plant GM crops. These cautious policies have been strongly reinforced by international market forces and international diplomatic and NGO pressures. China has been less cautious toward GM crops, in part because there is less opportunity in China for international organizations or independent critics of GM crops to challenge official policy.

Table of Contents
List of Tables

Foreword
Preface and Acknowledgments
1. Introduction: The Challenge of the GM Crop Revolution
2. Classifying Policies toward GM Crops and Foods
3. Governmental Caution and Weak Capacity in Kenya
4. The Courts Intervene in Brazil
5. NGOs Stir Anxieties in India
6. Permission Partly Granted in China
7. Comparing and Explaining Developing-Country Policies toward GM Crops
8. References
Index
About the Author
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Paarlberg is an associate professor of political science at Wellesley College.

**Paarlberg, R.L. (2001). The Politics of Precaution: Genetically Modified Crops in Developing Countries. Baltimore, Maryland, USA: Johns Hopkins University Press. http://www.press.jhu.edu/press/books/titles/f01/f01papo.htm

This work examines genetically modified food policies in four developing countries - Kenya, India, China and Brazil - to clarify the role shared by developing and developed country governments in responding to the issues involved in the cultivation and marketing of GM products.

　　3/27 A letter from Cohort 9 Yao Zhuyun

Lubiao,

Thanks for the information, it's a good one and shows how many factors are
inflencing the biotech adoption. It also reminds me that how hard and how
long for a technology taken from an idea to the market. 

Just want to share one paragraph with all of you, which I cited for my LEAD
essay two years ago when I applied for LEAD.

"...the best science in the world will be of no use unless it helps to
inform the critical decisions that will shape all of our lives in the coming
decades. That is why scientists or scientific societies across the global
must take a more active role in helping political leaders and the public
make informed decisions. In the 21st century, science and scientists will be
judged not only for how well they generate new knowledge, but also for how
well they help solve local and global problems. Scientists in every nation
must take action to ensure that policy makers and the public make their
decisions base on the best available information...."

Best wishes to all.

Rgs, June Yao