This dissertation discusses the concepts of Food Security and Food Sovereignty and the introduction of biotechnology into the international agricultural sector. It specifically focuses on the effects of the introduction of Genetically Modified seeds and Intellectual Property Rights. By discussing the effects of biotechnology and the concurrent implementation of neoliberal market-oriented economic policies, this dissertation aims to highlight international Food Regime developments during the last half century. In South Africa, the case study, these developments have bifurcated the national agricultural sector and strengthened the relationship between Agricultural Trans National Corporations and subsequent governments. This has led to the promotion of large-scale commercial farmers in the formal market sector, at the expense of the food sovereignty of smallscale traditional farmers in the informal market sector. A substantial portion of this discussion concerns the role and behaviour of the United States, as the dominant economic power post World War II. Strategic agricultural support given to individual nations during the Cold War, shaped the contemporary international Food Regime. In addition, the United States' Food Aid program (an attempt to resolve its overproduction) and its promotion of neo-liberal policies through supranational institutions have created an environment in which Agricultural Trans-national Corporations have emerged, consolidated and become increasingly influential. By embracing biotechnologies and lobbying governments to assist in their introduction and protection, these Agricultural Trans National Corporations have substantially altered the relationship between farmers and their crops. This dissertation analyses the South African agricultural sector in the light of the international Food Regime, taking into account its domestic legacy. A legacy characterized by: Centuries of discriminatory policies; a close relationship between the governments of the United States and South Africa; neoliberal friendly economic policies; the adoption and promotion of biotechnologies; Intellectual Property Right legislation; and a heavily bifurcated agricultural sector in which small-scale traditional farmers are effectively losing their Food Sovereignty. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.

How can we think of power in the form of a seed? This thesis will trace the discourse of "improvement" from its seventeenth century use by John Locke to justify the appropriation of Aboriginal lands in North America to the inter-locked languages of improvement and development in the twenty-first century in the context of genetically engineered food aid. This paper also explores the nature of sovereignty in a biopolitical age, arguing that the improvement discourse is operationalized on the ground through a diffuse power that trades on claims of improving the bios as whole. The paper concludes with a discussion of the food sovereignty movement as a possible practical and epistemological break for farmers in the Global North and South from the hegemony of this war by other means.

In recent years, foods produced by genetic engineering technology have been on the world food market. The biosafety aspects, regulations, and labelling of these foods are still contentious issues in most countries. It is necessary to have approval for the use of GMOs in the production of food. Thus, detection and quantification of GMOs play crucial role for developing regulations on GM foods. In this study, raw and processed maize samples were analysed for genetic modification using a DNA based detection method, the Polymerase Chain Reaction. Ten raw food and 18 processed maize food including maize flour, starch, corn flakes, maize chips were collected from different markets located in different places in Turkey. The samples were examined for the presence of genetic elements located in the majority of transgenic crops such as NOS terminator, CaMV 35S promoter, kanamycin resistance (KanR) gene, using conventional PCR with oligonucleotide sets targeting to novel genes. Furthermore screening was conducted via Real-Time PCR assay for NOS terminator and 35S promoter. For confirming the presence of Bt11 maize lines event specific primers were utilised. Quantification of Bt11 maize lines were performed via Real-Time PCR. The result indicates that foreign genetic elements were found in all analysed raw material. In six out of 10 raw material, presence of Bt11 gene were identified. GMO detection was also possible for maize flour and starch, however in processed material as corn starch, corn flakes, corn chips and pop corn, transgenes were not detected.

Thesis (M.Sc.) - Carleton University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 137-151). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 115-119).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xiv, 168 p.; also includes graphics (some col.). Includes bibliographical references (p. 161-168). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Göttingen, 2004. / English summary: International liability for damage caused by genetically modified organisms. Copyright by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V., to be exercised by Max-Planck-Institut für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht, Heidelberg. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. [393]-410) and index.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2013-11-04Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:42:19Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000756745.pdf: 1138398 bytes, checksum: 0ec92173455c89e083b0acce53faaebd (MD5) / Uma das razões para a rápida adoção de milho transgênico no Brasil foi o benefício econômico que essa tecnologia pode proporcionar aos produtores, como redução nos custos de aplicação de inseticidas e aumento da renda, através da redução de perda de produtividade por ataques de insetos. Esses benefícios superam os custos da adoção de tal tecnologia, que é o valor (R$) pago pelos produtores ao usar a semente de milho geneticamente modificada (GM). Foi objetivo deste estudo dimensionar o retorno econômico e os riscos para os adotantes de milho GM em uma das principais regiões produtoras do Estado de São Paulo (Guaíra/SP), a partir da análise de variação das quantidades e preços de inseticidas 10 utilizados, ganhos em produtividade e variação das diferenças de preços de sementes de milho GM em relação aos híbridos convencionais, levando-se em consideração a variação dos preços de milho durante o período de estudo. A metodologia utilizada foi a de avaliação dos benefícios líquidos, ou seja, os ganhos econômicos menos os custos da tecnologia transgênica, sob condições de risco. Os benefícios líquidos podem oscilar em função de quatro variáveis críticas: (1) produtividade do milho transgênico; (2) custos de controle de lagartas; (3) preço do milho; (4) custo de sementes transgênicas. As funções de distribuição de probabilidade dessas variáveis críticas foram estimadas e incluídas na equação de benefícios líquidos. Utilizando o método de simulação de Monte Carlo, foram estimados os seguintes conjuntos de indicadores: medidas de tendência central, variabilidade dos benefícios líquidos (benefícios totais menos custos totais), análise de sensibilidade dos benefícios líquidos em relação às variáveis críticas e, por fim, mapeamento de risco dos adotantes da tecnologia transgênica. Esses indicadores permitiram desenhar cenários econômico... / One of the reasons for the rapid adoption of transgenic corn in Brazil was the economic benefit this technology can provide to the producers, such as a reduction in the costs of applying insecticides and increased income due to the reduction in productivity losses caused by insect attacks. These benefits outweigh the costs of adopting such technology, which is the value (R$) paid by the farmers to use genetically modified (GM) seeds. The objective of this study was to dimension the economic risks and returns to the adopters of GM corn in one of the major corn producing regions of the state of São Paulo, as from the analysis of variation of the quantities and prices of insecticides used, 12 productivity gains and variation in the price differentials of the GM corn seeds in relation to conventional hybrids, taking into account the variation in corn prices during the period studied. The methodology used was the analysis of the net benefits, that is, the economic gains minus the costs of GM technology under conditions of risk. Net benefits can fluctuate as a function of four critical variables: 1) GM corn productivity; 2) costs of caterpillar control; 3) the price of corn; 4) the cost of GM seeds. The probability distribution functions of these critical variables were estimated and included in the net benefit equation. Using the Monte Carlo simulation methodology, the following indicator sets were estimated: central tendency measurements, variability in net benefits (total benefits minus total costs), sensitivity analysis of the net benefits in relation to the critical variables, and finally, the mapping of the risk to GM technology adopters. These indicators allow one to design economic scenarios associated with their probability of occurring. In general, it appeared that farmers who adopted the planting of transgenic corn showed positive profitability levels. The probability of positive ...

Orientador: Maura Seiko Tsutsui Esperancini / Banca: Luiz Cesar Ribas / Banca: Carmen Ozana de Melo / Banca: Ivana Marinho Barbaro / Banca: Izabel Cristina Takitane / Resumo: Uma das razões para a rápida adoção de milho transgênico no Brasil foi o benefício econômico que essa tecnologia pode proporcionar aos produtores, como redução nos custos de aplicação de inseticidas e aumento da renda, através da redução de perda de produtividade por ataques de insetos. Esses benefícios superam os custos da adoção de tal tecnologia, que é o valor (R$) pago pelos produtores ao usar a semente de milho geneticamente modificada (GM). Foi objetivo deste estudo dimensionar o retorno econômico e os riscos para os adotantes de milho GM em uma das principais regiões produtoras do Estado de São Paulo (Guaíra/SP), a partir da análise de variação das quantidades e preços de inseticidas 10 utilizados, ganhos em produtividade e variação das diferenças de preços de sementes de milho GM em relação aos híbridos convencionais, levando-se em consideração a variação dos preços de milho durante o período de estudo. A metodologia utilizada foi a de avaliação dos benefícios líquidos, ou seja, os ganhos econômicos menos os custos da tecnologia transgênica, sob condições de risco. Os benefícios líquidos podem oscilar em função de quatro variáveis críticas: (1) produtividade do milho transgênico; (2) custos de controle de lagartas; (3) preço do milho; (4) custo de sementes transgênicas. As funções de distribuição de probabilidade dessas variáveis críticas foram estimadas e incluídas na equação de benefícios líquidos. Utilizando o método de simulação de Monte Carlo, foram estimados os seguintes conjuntos de indicadores: medidas de tendência central, variabilidade dos benefícios líquidos (benefícios totais menos custos totais), análise de sensibilidade dos benefícios líquidos em relação às variáveis críticas e, por fim, mapeamento de risco dos adotantes da tecnologia transgênica. Esses indicadores permitiram desenhar cenários econômico ... / Abstract: One of the reasons for the rapid adoption of transgenic corn in Brazil was the economic benefit this technology can provide to the producers, such as a reduction in the costs of applying insecticides and increased income due to the reduction in productivity losses caused by insect attacks. These benefits outweigh the costs of adopting such technology, which is the value (R$) paid by the farmers to use genetically modified (GM) seeds. The objective of this study was to dimension the economic risks and returns to the adopters of GM corn in one of the major corn producing regions of the state of São Paulo, as from the analysis of variation of the quantities and prices of insecticides used, 12 productivity gains and variation in the price differentials of the GM corn seeds in relation to conventional hybrids, taking into account the variation in corn prices during the period studied. The methodology used was the analysis of the net benefits, that is, the economic gains minus the costs of GM technology under conditions of risk. Net benefits can fluctuate as a function of four critical variables: 1) GM corn productivity; 2) costs of caterpillar control; 3) the price of corn; 4) the cost of GM seeds. The probability distribution functions of these critical variables were estimated and included in the net benefit equation. Using the Monte Carlo simulation methodology, the following indicator sets were estimated: central tendency measurements, variability in net benefits (total benefits minus total costs), sensitivity analysis of the net benefits in relation to the critical variables, and finally, the mapping of the risk to GM technology adopters. These indicators allow one to design economic scenarios associated with their probability of occurring. In general, it appeared that farmers who adopted the planting of transgenic corn showed positive profitability levels. The probability of positive ... / Doutor

Orientador: Jorge Herman Behrens / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T12:04:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ribeiro_TatianeGodoy_M.pdf: 2754332 bytes, checksum: 78f977788653152f817e74560614ee81 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: O Brasil é um dos maiores produtores mundiais de alimentos transgênicos, porém faltam pesquisas que avaliem de forma mais profunda a opinião pública sobre o tema. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a percepção do consumidor brasileiro sobre o uso de engenharia genética na produção de alimentos sob uma perspectiva de pesquisa quali-quantitativa. Inicialmente foram realizadas entrevistas com 48 consumidores na cidade de Campinas,SP, e os resultados mostraram que, de forma geral, há desconhecimento sobre os fundamentos científicos da biotecnologia moderna, bem como da sua finalidade na produção de alimentos. Os respondentes mostraram-se mais favoráveis à aplicação de engenharia genética aos produtos de origem vegetal e àqueles produzidos com uso de micro-organismos, em detrimento dos produtos de origem animal, notadamente a carne. Benefícios, tais como aumento de produtividade, melhoria de qualidade e possível redução do preço dos alimentos mostraram-se como motivadores do consumo. Por outro lado, há desconfiança justificada pelo risco de efeitos adversos à saúde e também ao meio ambiente, sobretudo em longo prazo. Três segmentos de consumidores foram identificados, quais sejam, os de atitude positiva em relação ao uso da engenharia genética na produção de alimentos, os de atitude negativa e os de atitude neutra a positiva. No segundo momento da pesquisa, avaliou-se a intenção de compra de alimentos produzidos por biotecnologia moderna por 55 consumidores combinando-se três fatores: tipo de alimento (de origem animal, vegetal ou produzido por processo microbiológico), denominação ("organismo geneticamente modificado" ou "transgênico") e benefícios (à saúde, ao meio ambiente ou nenhum benefício). A Análise de Conglomerados associada à Análise Conjunta demonstrou que, 1) produtos de origem animal são preferidos em comparação aos de origem vegetal ou produzidos por ação de micro-organismos, 2) a denominação "organismo geneticamente modificado" é preferida à "transgênico" e, finalmente, 3) benefícios à saúde ou ao meio ambiente são menos importantes e úteis na intenção de compra. Como conclusão, este estudo aponta a necessidade de estratégia de comunicação à população sobre os fundamentos, os possíveis benefícios e os riscos da engenharia genética de forma a promover o debate social e escolha consciente dos consumidores brasileiros em relação aos alimentos produzidos com tecnologias associadas / Abstract: Although Brazil is one of the world's largest producers of transgenic food, there are few studies assessing local public opinion on the subject. The aim of this work was to study the perception of Brazilian consumers about the use of genetic engineering on food production using a quali-quantitative research perspective. Firstly, 48 consumers were interviewed in the city Campinas, SP, and the results showed that, in general, lack of knowledge about the scientific fundamentals of modern biotechnology and its purposes on food production. The respondents showed to be more favorable to the application of genetic engineering on plants and and food produced by microbiological process, than on animal origin products, especially meat. Benefits, such as increased productivity, improved quality and possible price reduction appeared as the main drivers of consumption. On the other hand, it seems to be distrust justified by the risk of adverse effects on health and also to the environment, particularly in the long term. Three consumer clusters were identified: one showing positive attitude; another one with negative attitude; and a third group of consumer showing neutral to positive attitude towards the use of genetic engineering in food production. In the second part of the study, a conjoint study with 55 consumers was performed in order to assess the purchase intention of concepts of foods produced by modern biotechnology. Concepts were defined by combining three factors: type of food (animal, plant or produced by microbiological process), name ("genetically modified organism" or "transgenic") and benefits (to the health, to the environment or no benefit stated). Cluster Analysis associated with Conjoint Analysis showed that: 1) animal products are preferred in comparison to plants or food produced by microbiological process, 2) the name "genetically modified organism" is preferred to the "transgenic" and finally, 3) benefits to health or to the environment are less important in the purchase intention. In conclusion, this study indicates the need of a communication strategy to inform the Brazilian population about the fundamentals and the possible benefits and risks of genetic engineering in order to promote a social debate and more conscious choice by local consumers regarding food produced with associated technologies / Mestrado / Consumo e Qualidade de Alimentos / Mestra em Alimentos e Nutrição