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Greengenetechnology(GGT), understoodasapartofmodernbiotechnology,
has been on a steady, triumphal progression over the last ten years
(ISAAA 2007, see thecontribution byEinsele in thisissue). This
volume, jointly edited byProf. Fiechterandme,
dealswithsomeactualscienti?candsocio-economic aspects with regard
to genetically modi?ed plants (GMP). Worldwide more than 100
million hectares of agronomical land are covered by GMP. This -
cludes some prominent industrialised Western countries like the USA
and Canada, aseriesofthresholdcountrieslikeArgentina, Brazil,
IndiaandChina, and a number of developing countries. Clearly, some
of these countries have to deal with crop plant production and
human nutrition in a very pragmatic way since, for example, India
has to feed about a 1/5 of the world population on about 3% of the
arable land. In contrast, the situation in Europe appears very
different. Food supply is more than suf?cient and comparably inexp-
sive. This surplus of food is on one hand convenient, since
starvation has been largely unknown in Europe for about 50 years,
with only comparatively few exceptions of socially peripheral
individuals. On the other hand it makes the population careless
about the future food supply. Even beyond mere food supply, Europe
gained its culturalvalues fromitsagricultural success over the
centuries. Asinglefarmerbecameabletofeedmoreandmorepeoplemaking
them free towork outside of agriculture as a craftsman, artist,
poet, scientist, engineer, mayor, administrativeof?cial, priest,
philosopher, orsoldier-togive only a few examples. In the public
perception this connection between agr-
omyandculturalwelfareisnotsuf?cientlyappreciatedinEurope.
Switzerland, geographically in the centre of Europe (although not a
member of the pol- ical union) has the same cultural tradition,
only somewhat shifted towards the more conservative mood commonto
mountain p
Greengenetechnology(GGT),understoodasapartofmodernbiotechnology,
has been on a steady, triumphal progression over the last ten years
(ISAAA 2007, see thecontribution byEinsele in thisissue). This
volume, jointly edited byProf.
Fiechterandme,dealswithsomeactualscienti?candsocio-economic aspects
with regard to genetically modi?ed plants (GMP). Worldwide more
than 100 million hectares of agronomical land are covered by GMP.
This - cludes some prominent industrialised Western countries like
the USA and
Canada,aseriesofthresholdcountrieslikeArgentina,Brazil,IndiaandChina,
and a number of developing countries. Clearly, some of these
countries have to deal with crop plant production and human
nutrition in a very pragmatic way since, for example, India has to
feed about a 1/5 of the world population on about 3% of the arable
land. In contrast, the situation in Europe appears very different.
Food supply is more than suf?cient and comparably inexp- sive. This
surplus of food is on one hand convenient, since starvation has
been largely unknown in Europe for about 50 years, with only
comparatively few exceptions of socially peripheral individuals. On
the other hand it makes the population careless about the future
food supply. Even beyond mere food supply, Europe gained its
culturalvalues fromitsagricultural success over the centuries.
Asinglefarmerbecameabletofeedmoreandmorepeoplemaking them free
towork outside of agriculture as a craftsman, artist,poet,
scientist,
engineer,mayor,administrativeof?cial,priest,philosopher,orsoldier-togive
only a few examples. In the public perception this connection
between agr-
omyandculturalwelfareisnotsuf?cientlyappreciatedinEurope.
Switzerland, geographically in the centre of Europe (although not a
member of the pol- ical union) has the same cultural tradition,
only somewhat shifted towards the more conservative mood commonto
mountain populations.
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