God of Harvest (Biotechnology, the Future of Wealth and Food)

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 uses solar energy to produce pharmaceuticals. They hold immense promise: improving consumer health and boosting agricultural yields. But this scenario also has its perilous side, as it stirs fears of life being tampered with and harmed in the pursuit of profit. In this book, Daniel Charles tells the real story behind the "Frankenstein foods"—a story you can’t get from biotech companies or their zealous opponents. He reveals for the first time the brutal scientific competition that drives the opposition to genetically engineered foods, as well as the behind-the-scenes commercial deals. He uncovers the secret campaigns launched across the Atlantic to defeat biotech firms. The book meticulously documents the interplay of science, business, and politics. It follows the journey 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.