Introduction

Abstract

What are the goals and priorities of agricultural development? Answers to this question can be diverse. Depending on who is being asked, the list of priorities may include food security, poverty reduction, supply of biofuels, soil conservation, biodiversity preservation, climate protection, animal welfare, attractive rural landscapes for recreation, and many other things. People in Western Europe will likely answer differently from people in South Asia or sub-Saharan Africa because of different living standards, cultural backgrounds, and attitudes. Also within regions, priorities may differ between rich and poor, urban and rural, young and old, men and women, and so on. Moreover, responses to the question about goals and priorities today would probably be quite different from responses 20 or 50 years ago. However, in spite of the many nuances and changes in priorities and preferences over time, there are a few overarching goals of agricultural development that persist and that constitute the foundation for this book. I focus on three goals in particular and shall analyze how far genetically modified (GM) crops can contribute to achieving these goals.