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Sociology of Agriculture and Food (SAFRIG)

Genetically Engineered Grains – or Not: Biotech Feed Grains and Food Grains in the World Economy, 1996-2020 Bill Winders*, Bill Winders,

From 1996 to 2019, biotechnology in agriculture spread across the globe, with global genetically engineered (GE) crop production increasing from 1.7 million hectares to 190 million hectares. Only a small percentage of countries produce GE crops: just 29 countries — or about 15 percent of countries in the world — grew GE crops in 2019. In fact, GE production is concentrated in just a few countries: the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, India, and Canada. Similarly, just a few crops dominate GE production: maize/corn, soybeans, cotton, and canola. These four crops account for almost all GE production globally. Notably, these crops – particularly, maize and soybeans – are central components to livestock feed. Although GE food grains have been developed, no GE rice or wheat is commercially available. Why do feed grains and food grains display this important difference? What political and economic factors help to explain which GE crops are developed and commercially adopted? Many observers argue that consumer or farmer preferences play key roles. Others argue that the extent to which a crop is exported is most important. While such factors play a role in patters of biotechnology and grains, I argue that the world economic context – in particular, the degree of competition in world markets – is the central to understanding the adoption or rejection of biotechnology in agriculture.