Product Description: This book addresses the continuing controversy over the potential impact of genetically modified (GM) crops in developing countries. Supporters of the technology claim it offers one of the best hopes for increasing agricultural production and reducing rural poverty, while opponents see it as an untested intervention that will bring corporate control of peasant farming...read more

Product Description: Low external-input technology (or LEIT) is an increasingly prominent subject in discussions of sustainable agriculture. There are growing calls for self-sufficient agriculture in an era experiencing diminishing returns from reliance upon expensive synthetic pesticides and fertilizers...read more

Product Description: Many of the current controversies over globalization, intellectual property protection, biotechnology and the future of farming are played out in the arena of seed provision. This book provides a detailed look at the strengths and weaknesses of seed management in traditional farming systems and reviews the history of formal plant breeding and the origins of the seed trade...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: This book argues that the development and diversification of national seed systems, which is currently taking place, requires a thorough re-examination of public regulatory responsibilities. Featuring case studies from a wide range of countries, it presents both a summary of current experience and a set of practical suggestions about how regulatory reform can contribute to the growth of national seed systems...read more