A few weeks ago I participated in a panel discussion on CBC radio out of Canada on the topic of genetically modified animals. They aired the story this morning. You can list to the whole thing here.
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Potential Impacts of GMO Cowpeas in Africa
The journal Agricultural Economics recently published a paper I co-authored with Sika Gbègbèlègbè who now works for the International Livestock Research Institute (other coauthors are Jess Lowenberg-DeBoer, Razack Adeoti, and Ousmane Coulibaly).
The abstract:
“Genetically modified (GM) crops could increase economic growth and enhance living standards in Africa, but political issues have slowed the use of biotechnology. This is the first study that assesses the potential impact of GM crops in Africa while considering the preferences of producers and consumers towards GMOs as well as the income and price risks they face. The study uses a choice experiment to estimate the ex ante economic impact of a novel technology, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cowpea, on producers and consumers in Benin, Niger and northern Nigeria. The experiment involves the simulation of a market transaction similar to those in open air markets in West Africa. During the market simulation, respondents are informed about the advantages and disadvantages, including health risks, of Bt cowpea. The results from the study suggest that cowpea growers and consumers in Benin and northern Nigeria prefer Bt to conventional cowpea for health safety reasons. The results estimate that social welfare in Benin, Niger and northern Nigeria would increase by at least US$11.82 per capita annually with Bt cowpea, if seed sectors are operating smoothly. With inefficiencies in seed sectors and the potential for cowpea acreage increase, the estimated social welfare increase in the region would be about US$1.26 per capita annually.”
Anti-GMO propaganda in most unlikely of places
The internet can be a dangerous place for kids. That's why I was a bit worried when my son said to me today on the way to school: "you won't believe what I saw on Mom's computer."
I was only slightly relieved to hear that he had headed over to a web site a friend had told him about called bigdino.com that links to a bunch of kid's games. Having talked with me several times about GMOs, he thought I'd be interested to know there were at least three games at the website on the topic. You can play the game "Harvest" - the goal of which is to "protect your barn from waves of GMO invaders" or play the games "Stop GMO" or "Stop GMO 2" (the later games seem to be made by a company called MyPlayYard games).
There are insightful images, such as this one of a rabbit pouring some toxic substance on carrots before you're thrown into a game where you're being chased by scary looking radishes and carrots where you must kill or be killed.
Precondition a generation of kids to be fearful of GMOs, to learn to shoot first and ask questions later, and we wonder why it sometimes so hard to have reasonable discussions about biotechnology . . .
Agri-Pulse Interview on GMOs
I was recently interviewed by Agri-Pulse about GMOs, GMO labeling, and technology adoption. You can hear the whole thing here.
End of Doom
Ronald Bailey has an excellent piece in the October print edition of Reason Magazine entitled, "The End of Doom" and a recently released book with the same title. It's a nice counterweight to the oft-heard refrain that the world is going to hell.
Here are a a few quotes I found particularly interesting. In critiquing Rachel Carson's Silent Spring:
“At its heart is this belief: Nature is beneficent, stable, and even a source of moral good; humanity is arrogant, heedless, and often the source of moral evil. Carson, more than any other person, is responsible for the politicization of science that afflicts our contemporary public policy debates.”
In discussing our out-sized fears of cancers from synthetic chemicals and of biotechnology:
“It should always be borne in mind that environmentalist organizations raise money to support themselves by scaring people. More generally, Bonny observes, “For some people, especially many activists, biotechnology also symbolizes the negative aspects of globalization and economic liberalism.” She adds, “Since the collapse of the communist ideal has made direct opposition to capitalism more difficult today, it seems to have found new forms of expression including, in particular, criticism of globalization, certain aspects of consumption, technical developments, etc.””
He ends with some choice words about the precautionary principle.
“Why does it matter if the population at large believes these dire predictions about humanity’s future? The primary danger is they may fuel a kind of pathological conservatism that could actually become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
and
“The precautionary principle is the opposite of the scientific process of trial and error that is the modern engine of knowledge and prosperity. The precautionary principle impossibly demands trials without errors, successes without failures.
...
”An indirect implication of trial without error is that if trying new things is made more costly, there will be fewer departures from past practice; this very lack of change may itself be dangerous in forgoing chances to reduce existing hazards.” ”