(London: Blackwell, 2013) Hermitte, M. A.; Anvar, S.; Bonin, M.; Bargues, M.; Canselier, G.; Desmoulin, S.; Langlais, A.; Corti Varela, Justo Lisandro
Powerful scientific, industrial, agricultural, political and administrative lobbies have taken a stand in favour of GMOs. In opposition are numerous stakeholders, NGOs and networks, some more radical than others, that include scientists, farmers, consumers and some regional public authorities. Since 1998 those opposing GMOs have launched a series of actions such as destruction of GM crops and field trials, and some public authorities have made decisions to banish GM crops from a given territory. To varying degrees, it is clear that these are all illegal actions. Yet these illegal practices claim an element of legitimacy, based on public polls revealing year after year that a large portion of the general public are opposed to GM foods. This perennial convergence between small groups of activists and public opinion forced European and national public authorities to face a deep crisis of confidence. This crisis led to a decision to opt for a strategic change in the government of agricultural biotechnologies.
