Source: Crouch, M.L. 1995. Biotechnology is not compatible with sustainable agriculture. J. Agric. Environ. Ethics 8:98-111.

Biotechnology, the genetic manipulation of organisms for more efficient use by industry, has split the agriculture community into two groups: those who believe that biotechnology helps increase the sustainability of agriculture, and those who oppose its use. In her paper, Crouch argues that biotechnology is not compatible with sustainable agriculture because it increases the competition of commercial agriculture with subsistence agriculture. By subsistence agriculture, Crouch means the self-sufficient agriculture still common in the developing world. Subsistence agriculture is preferable to industrial agriculture because the crops planted are generally more diverse than in commercial agriculture, reducing the risk of widespread crop epidemics. Subsistence crops do not require shipping, packaging, storage, and many of the other processes that use up so many resources in industrial farming. Subsistence farming may also give the grower greater food security, since they are independent of the food market and do not have to worry about unemployment. She argues that if biotechnology is introduced to Third World countries, the areas that currently do the most subsistence farming, the food security of the people in these countries would go down because they would become dependent on large corporations and the international market. Because a majority of the world population relies on subsistence farming for food, and the introduction of biotechnology would hurt their ability to have a reliable food source, Crouch opposes biotechnology. Instead, she proposes three strategies for promoting food security: (1) opposing the globalization of agriculture, (2) returning to past successful methods of growing food, and (3) designing new farming methods not related to market principles.

Abstract Author: Jesse Alt, 29 October 1997.

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