David WieldOpen University, United Kingdom BASF has been a latecomer to agrobiotechnology. Until mid-1998, BASF continued its longstanding focus on chemicals production with massive economies of scale, in particular, but also of scope. In 2000, it announced the acquisition of the Cyanamid…
Joyce TaitUniversity of Edinburgh, United Kingdom Zeneca’s agrochemical strategies had two major strands: developing the profit potential from existing patented and off-patent chemicals where this was feasible; and major investment in discovery of new, patented products. In developing genetically modified (GM) crops,…
Stéphane LemariéINRA/SERD, Université Pierre Mendès, France Pioneer and Monsanto are two major players in the seed and the agricultural biotechnology business. They have both tended to develop an integrated innovation strategy around a limited range of key innovations, which have been United…
Mari StullGrocery Manufacturers of America, Inc. Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) contends that foods enhanced through biotechnology with recombinant DNA or rDNA-derived traits should not be labeled differently from other foods; however, it supports voluntary labeling when truthful and not misleading. This…
Janet NunnBritish Retail Consortium This paper delineates the identity preservation strategy being implemented by the British Retail Consortium and the Food and Drink Federation towards genetically modified foods. The strategy is in direct response to British consumer concerns about genetically modified foods…
John N. HathcockCouncil for Responsible Nutrition The precautionary principle originated in environmental risk management to provide regulatory authority to stop specific environmental contaminations without waiting for conclusive evidence of harm to the environment (i.e., while there was still “uncertainty” about the evidence)….
Nicholas Kalaitzandonakes and Peter W.B. PhillipsUniversity of Missouri & University of Saskatchewan, Canada In 1962, the Codex Alimentarius Commission (or Codex) was formed under the joint sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Its charge…
Stefano Boccaletti and Daniele MoroUniversità Cattolica, Piacenza, Italy This paper evaluates consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) for food products obtained through the application of biotechnology using data collected from a consumer survey in Italy in 1999. Survey results show that consumers have a low…
John R. LupienUniversity of Massachusetts This paper provides background to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, its activities, and current Codex considerations. It argues that food standards work, and the control of food quality and safety must be based on the best available scientific…
Neil A. BelsonAttorney at Law Three federal agencies—the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—share primary responsibility for regulating biotechnology in the United States. This article describes each agency’s role as it relates…
