Genetically modified foods present numerous ethical, environmental, health and legal challenges. This report synthesizes information from many websites, scientific journals, newspapers and books that discuss the controversy surrounding genetically modified foods. The author has attempted to show that although the future applications of agrobiotechnology appear promising, the ways in which it is currently being used and regulated should be evaluated with a healthy degree of skepticism.

Transgenic crops offer the promise of increased agricultural productivity and better quality foods. But they also raise the specter of harmful environmental effects. In this new book, a panel of experts examines: • Similarities and differences between crops developed by conventional and transgenic methods • Potential for commercialized transgenic crops to change both agricultural and nonagricultural landscapes • How well the U.S. government is regulating transgenic crops to avoid any negative effects. Environmental Effects of Transgenic Plants provides a wealth of information about transgenic processes, previous experience with the introduction of novel crops, principles of risk assessment and management, the science behind current regulatory schemes, issues in monitoring transgenic products already on the market, and more. The book discusses public involvementâ€"and public confidenceâ€"in biotechnology regulation. And it looks to the future, exploring the potential of genetic engineering and the prospects for environmental effects.

Describes the economic, scientific, and social factors that will influence the future of biotechnology in agriculture. Shows that both private and public sector R&D are contributing significantly to the development of biotechnologies. A review of 23 published studies on the subject.

Concerns over global public health crises, especially as they relate to less-developed countries are dominated by the issue of access-freeze to life-saving drugs. Without discounting the problem of access to essential drugs, this article shifts attention from that conventional discourse and focuses on the relationship between biotechnology, specifically agro-biotech, and nutritional health. It argues that despite the traditional reservations against agro-biotech, in some quarters, and various inchoate claims made on its behalf, it is a practical tool for public health intervention. The article examines the concept of bio-fortification or functional food as a viable public health strategy against the scourge of malnutrition said to be the greatest risk factor contributing to global burden of disease. Analogizing access to bio-fortified foods to access to essential medicines, the article argues for a public goods approach to bio-fortified foods as a public health incentive in the less-developed world.

Genetic-based animal biotechnology has produced new food and pharmaceutical products and promises many more advances to benefit humankind. These exciting prospects are accompanied by considerable unease, however, about matters such as safety and ethics. This book identifies science-based and policy-related concerns about animal biotechnologyâ€"key issues that must be resolved before the new breakthroughs can reach their potential. The book includes a short history of the field and provides understandable definitions of terms like cloning. Looking at technologies on the near horizon, the authors discuss what we know and what we fear about their effectsâ€"the inadvertent release of dangerous microorganisms, the safety of products derived from biotechnology, the impact of genetically engineered animals on their environment. In addition to these concerns, the book explores animal welfare concerns, and our societal and institutional capacity to manage and regulate the technology and its products. This accessible volume will be important to everyone interested in the implications of the use of animal biotechnology.

Written in a practical, didactic format designed to deliver point-of-care information to practitioners of cardiology as well as assist non-cardiologists with the efficient management of cardiac disease, this highly illustrated manual is an essential reference.