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.
ContentsForewordPrefacePart 1: Introduction to Environmental Biosafety in Relation to Genetically Engineered CropsProduction of Genetically Engineered Crops, Relationship to Conventional Plant Breeding, and Implications for Safety AssessmentEnvironmental Issues Associated with Agricultural Production SystemsEnvironmental Biosafety Issues Associated with Genetically Engineered CropsCurrent Status of Genetically Engineered Crops and Assessment of Environmental ImpactsFuture Possible Genetically Engineered Crops and Traits and Their Potential Environmental ImpactsPart 2: Environmental Considerations Associated with Genetically Engineered CropsFactors Influencing the Genetic Diversity of Plant Species and the Potential Impact of Transgene MovementControl and Monitoring of Gene Flow from Genetically Engineered CropsEvaluation of Potential Impacts of Genetically Engineered Plant-Incorporated Protectants on Non-Target OrganismsPests Resistant to Pesticides and Genetically Modified Crop Plants: Theory and ManagementA Problem-Based Approach to Environmental Risk Assessment of Genetically Engineered CropsPart 3: Regulation of Genetically Engineered Crops with Respect to Environmental SafetyThe Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and Other International RegulationsSystems to Regulate Genetically Engineered Plants: Similarities and Differences among CountriesBio-Innovationsand the Economics of Biosafety Regulatory Decision Making and Design in Developing CountriesPart 4: Future Challenges and OpportunitiesRisk-Benefit Communication for Transgenic CropsCapacity Building in BiosafetyThe Evolving International Regulatory Regime: Impact on Agricultural DevelopmentContributorsIndex
