Analysis of the North Dakota Genetically Modified Wheat Case
Instructions:
To complete this project, you must read extensively to gain background information
about the issues associated with GM crops and about the North Dakota case.
Genre, Audience, and Purpose: You
are to produce an investigative report directed to a state agriculture board
in another state. This board, you are to assume, has heard about the coexistence
group's work here in North Dakota in relationship to the release of genetically
modified crops and would like to set up a similar group in their own state
because of a proposed new release of some transgenic organism (perhaps alfalfa
or turf
grass--it doesn't really matter what it is, but it should be a real genetically
modified organism that could be considered for release).
Structure: This is a formal report, so it should have a transmittal
letter or memo, a title page, a table of contents, and an abstract in the front
matter. Then, in the report proper, you need an introduction, which
should discuss the purpose of the report, describe the
local problem
that called
for
your
research
and report, and preview the sections of the report. After the introduction,
the report body should briefly recount the
events
of
the
North Dakota case,
discuss what went well with the coexistence group here in ND, and analyze
what didn't
go
well.
Your
report
should then discuss
what weaknesses in the design of the discussion group and its written documents
may have led to its break down. Then the report is to recommend specific
revisions: what would you do differently if you had the chance to do things
over? The report
should have a full works-cited page, documenting all citations, summaries,
and paraphrases.
After the works-cited page, the report is to have appendices consisting
of:
- a plan describing the formation and membership of the proposed coexistence
group (the new group being proposed in the new state)
- governing documents (procedures and agreements) for the coexistence group addressed to those who are a part of it
- a format/outline of the document that will be produced by the group, along
with guidelines for voting and recording votes.
Total length of report (not including title page, table of contents, and appendices)
should be between 8 and 12 double-spaced pages. Use headings throughout the
paper
that
tie back
to
the
table of contents.
The
three appendices will be single-space documents, 1 - 3 pages each.
Here are a couple successful reports written in response to this case. The
assignment these students responded to did not stipulate that they address
another ag board, so they are not situated as clearly as yours should be.
A Narrative of the case:
A Narrative of the Case, constructed by Dale
Sullivan from
the following materials and interviews.
Getting Background Information about Genetically Modified Grains
There are several sources you should consult to get background knowledge about
issues associate with genetically modified foods.
- Bill Lambrecht's Dinner at the New Gene Cafe. St. Martin's Press,
2002.
A good introduction to the issues in general.
I have created an annotated bibliography based on a few more books below. You probably want to check out a couple for your own reading.
- Hart, Kathleen. Eating in the Dark: America's Experiment with Genetically Engineered Food. New York: Pantheon Books, 2002.
I think Hart is probably opposed to GMOs. At the very least she is opposed to the widespread release of GM food in the U.S. without labeling. She calls this America's experiment with GE foods, no consent forms having been signed. It seems to be a study of how the FDA approves food for release; and it claims that it the FDA is biased in favor of the large producers of GM seeds. It is a well documented study, sort of a thorough investigation of the development of the FDAs practice.
- Kneen, Brewster. Farmageddon: Food and the Culture of Biotechnology. Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada: New Society Publishers, 1999.
This book is overtly opposed to biotechnology. Kneen argues that the biotech industry is really and industry of death, killing off all unwanted life and producing moncultures. The second chapter analyzes the rhetoric of GM companies, particularly their arguments based on the "need to feed the world." I haven't read the rest of the book, but it is very readable. I suppose I like it because it sort of preaches to the choir in my case. I hope to find time to read it when I have more time.
- McHughen, Alan. Pandora's Picnic Basket: The Potential and Hazards of Genetically Modified Foods. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2000.
McHughen says that he does not intend to preach in his book but to teach. Motivated by what he perceives to be the dysfunctional state of public debate in England over GM foods, he argues that the GM debate has to be elevated, and that can be done only by "acquiring factural foundations" (3). "Science provides the bedrock granite" (3). He wants to "kickstart a real informed and vigorous public debate" (3). He has a primer chapter on molecular genetics, aimed, it would seem at an high school reader, and another chapter on how food gets from the farm to the table, again introductory. As the book goes on, McHughen takes up several issues related to GMOs and food, and the chapters take on polemic overtones. For instance, in chapter 6, he brings up several issues, describing public concerns and claiming that these concerns spring largely from ignorance. McHughen supports biotechnology, downplaying public concerns about GMOs and belittling the benefits of organic foods. For instance, he says, "From my perspective, both GM and organic production have been around long enough to conclude there is no inherent danger in either one, but specific products of either may be hazardous" (236). So, although he initially positions himself as being unbiased, his biases do emerge as the book goes on. Nevertheless, the book is a good introduction to the issues associted with the controversy.
- Nelson, Gerald C. (ed.). Genetically Modified Organisms in Agriculture: Economics and Politics. Urbana: U of Illinois P, 2001.
This book is an anthology of readings about GM issues and agriculture. It seems to be a textbook, aimed most likely at agriculture students. Part I contains several scholarly research articles analyzing GMO benefits and costs. Many of these articles appear to have been published in scientific journals and require either a motivated reader or a specialist reader. Part 2 is called "perspectives on the controversies." These essays are less opague to the interested reader and would be of interest to an educated lay person. There are six subtopics in part 2: farm perspectives, government perspectives, developing country perspectives, environmental perspectives, consumer issues (safety and labeling), and life sciences industry. Part 3 is called special topics, and it contains 4 essays: one on the history of ag biotech, one on genetic modification technology, one on Bt corn and the Monarch, and one on the beef hormone dispute between the U.S. and E.U.
- Pence, Gregory E. Designer Food: Mutant Harvest or Breadbasket of the World. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2002.
This book is the most overt in its support of GM food of any of the books I surveyed. From the very beginning, he takes on the opposition, arguing that organic foods are no safer than GM foods and criticizing those who protest GM foods. In chapter 3, he offers four perspectives on food--a pretty good chapter. He describes naturalist (such as Greenpeace), Egalitarians (such as Rifkin), globalist (who want to promote globalized economies), progressives (who hail new inventions). At one point he summarizes his views of Jeremy Rifkin, whom he characterizes as a sensationalist and a gadfly (82 ff.). Similarly, he criticizes Vandana Shiva and Wendell Berry for simplistic thinking and distortion (194-197).
- Ruse, Michael and David Castle (eds.). Genetically Modified Foods: Debating Biotechnology. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2002.
This book looks like a book that could be used as a reader in an advanced composition class focusing on GM foods as a topic. The editors have pulled together several interesting essays, both pro and con, about specific issues: golden rice, ethics in agriculture, religion, labeling, law, food safety and substantial equivalence, risk assessment and public perception, precautionary principle, developing countries, environmental impacts. This looks like one of the best books of the lot because it has readible essays by noted researchers and scholars on both sides of the issue.
- Thompson, Paul B. Food Biotechnology in Ethical Perspective. London: Blackie Academic and Professional, 1997.
This book is a book about ethics using biotechnology and food as a case in point.
Thompson analyzes the ethical issues of the case, first describing the presumptive
case for biotechnology and then exploring the case under the categories of
unintended consequences, the ethics of consent, animal health and welfare,
environmental impact, social consequences, property rights, religious and metaphysical
opposition, and communication, education, and trust. The book employs ethical
theory heavily and so is as much a challenging introduction to ethics as to
the issue of biotechnology. He explores risk assessment, public engagement,
questions of responsibility, and the public's trust or distrust of science
and scientific authority. He seems to be a cautious supporter of biotechnology,
but he warns scientists that they need to get out of their "laboratory cocoons" and
address public concerns (238).
Online resources about GM crop issues in general
Gathering Information about the North Dakota Wheat Case
- http://www.growersforwheatbiotechnology.org/, regional farmers' organization supporting GM wheat
- Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
- http://www.npsas.org/Contamination.html
- An
outline for an NPSAS Land Grant Statement
- NPSAS
Land Grant Statement
- NDSU policy on GMOs
- NDSU Report on Economic
Impacts of GM Wheat, Taylor, DeVuyst, Koo
- NDSU Report on Cost and Risks
of Testing and Segregating GM Wheat, Wilson and Dahl
- Universities Lag on Organic Research,
Sam Western
- A file with compiled
news releases that focus primarily on the GM wheat controversy
in Canada and the Dakotas. It's a long file: I have copied and pasted several
stories sent to me by the Dakota Resource Council into a single file.
- A summary list of articles that appeared
in
the Fargo Forum from June to July, 2004, on the GMO wheat controversy
in ND. Some have an * after the title. If you click on that, the story comes up
- Compiled articles from the Fargo Forum on the ND Wheat Case
- Gary Goreham's PPT describing a study on values and GM crops
- Harvest at Risk a report on possible impacts of releasing GM Wheat by Dr. Charles Benbrook
- Interview notes by Dale Sullivan
with Dr. Kenneth Grafton, Director of NDSU Ag Experiment Station and
Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources,
about Rough Rider Wheat
- Interview notes by Dale Sullivan with Dale
Zetocha,
Director of the NDSU Research Foundation
- Interview notes by Dale Sullivan with Becky Koch,
Director of Ag Communication.
- Interview notes by Dale Sullivan with Duane
Hauck, Director of NDSU Extension Service.
Primary documents for rhetorical analysis:
Other people knowledgeable about the case:
- Dean Hulse (a professional writer who often works with NPSAS and DRC)
- Janet
Jacobsen (President of NPSAS and participant in the coexistence group)
- Brad
Brummon (an extension agent who set up the coexistence working group)
- Gary Goreham (Professor of Sociology at NDSU and group facilitator of coexistence group)