The Politics of Genetically Modified Organisms in the United States and Europe

This book examines the puzzle of why genetically modified organisms continue to be controversial despite scientific evidence declaring them safe for humans and the environment. What explains the sustained levels of resistance? Clancy analyzes the trans-Atlantic controversy by comparing opposition to GMOs in the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Spain, and the United States, examining the way in which science is politicized on both sides of the debate. Ultimately, the author argues that the lack of labeling GMO products in the United States allows opponents to create far-fetched images of GMOs that work their ways in to the minds of the public. The way forward out of this seemingly intractable debate is to allow GMOs, once tested, to enter the market without penalty—and then to label them.

Kelly A. Clancy is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Nebraska Wesleyan University, USA. She has broad interests in European contentious politics, and has conducted research in Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom. She earned her PhD in political science from Rutgers University, USA, in 2015, and is an adjunct member of the Rutgers graduate faculty.