A Discussion of the Social Effects of Biotechnology Essay examples --

A Discussion of the Social Effects of biotechThe reality of work in agriculture is in a process of speedy change. While change is by no means alien to agriculture, something hot has entered the arna which harbingers and/or threatens to fundamentally alter agricultural practices crosswise the globe. Bio applied science has already begun to be implemented resulting in what may be serious shifts in not only agricultural production, however indeed changes in the very makeup of agricultural products themselves. This promises to pose serious challenges and/or opportunities to farmers across the globe. However, this may of course depend where it is particular farmers stand in coincidence to the power and socio-economic relations surrounding biotechnology. Indeed, this new and rapidly expanding1 field of technology is by no means some invisible hand or politically neutral futuristic vision ( such as that presented at Disneys EPCOT Center) that allow shape the way we produce and cons ume food. Those who entrust control the port in which biotechnology is applied to agriculture will, and indeed are, acutely cause the social relations that are structured around it.Biotechnology and its consecutive industries, such as genetic engineering, have become the buzz manner of speaking of the day much in the same way nuclear vigour was discussed in the early days of nuclear power. It is held up, for example, as holding the promise of solving the worlds food shortages. According to major corporations involved in biotechnology, such as Monsanto2 , genetic engineering heralds the wave of the future. They argue that this technology will not only be able to provide for the worlds food sources, but will likewise help preserve the environment. Farming of th... ...en a spectacular turn. At the end of last year, Mr Shapiro announced that the company,...would spin off the substance of the firm, a chemicals business with sales of around $3 billion in sales-half from agricultur al products,....However, Mr Shapiro has made it clear where he wants Monsanto to go. The firm, he believes, should be the master(prenominal) provider of the agricultural biotechnology the world will need if it is to fly the coop itself in the future without despoiling the environment. (ibid.)from many of the webpages which are linked to this page. Below are listed the prinicipal web-pages(www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/endanger.html), (www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/safebiot.html),(www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/overseas.html), (www.ces.ncsu.edu/san/htdocs/docs/other.html), (www.soybean.com), (www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/concept.htm), (www.caff.org), (www.oilseeds.org), (www.fsu.usda.gov/pas/default.asp)