God of Harvest -- Biotechnology, Wealth, and the Future of Food: Open Humanities

Author: Charles (USA), translated by Yuan Liqin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: Biotech companies are creating specially designed crops with extraordinary powers—from cholesterol-lowering soybeans to tobacco that harnesses solar energy for pharmaceutical production. They hold immense promise: improving consumer health and boosting agricultural yields. But this scenario also has its perilous side, as it stirs fear of life being tampered with and damaged under profit-driven motives. In this book, Daniel Charles tells the real story behind the "Frankenstein Foods"—a story you can't learn from biotech companies or their fervent opponents. He reveals for the first time the ruthless scientific competition that guides the opposition to genetically engineered foods, along with the behind-the-scenes commercial deals. He uncovers the secrets of movements on both sides of the Atlantic aimed at defeating biotech firms. The book meticulously documents the intersection of science, business, and politics with astonishingly detailed historical records. It follows the journeys of three young scientists who were lured away from academia in the 1980s to join Monsanto, a chemical company seeking to enter the biotech field. All three hoped to increase crop yields and end global hunger. Unprepared for what lay ahead, they aspired to be pioneers of a green revolution.