Editor’s introduction. the future of agricultural biotechnology: creative destruction, adoption, or irrelevance?–in honor of Prof. Vittorio Santaniello.

With the death of Prof. Vittorio Santaniello in the summer of 2007, the International Consortium for Agricultural Biotechnology Research (ICABR) lost one of its most enthusiastic founders and most important contributors. This special issue celebrates Prof. Santaniello’s commitment to the establishment of an independent forum of discussion for agricultural biotechnology issues by collecting high-quality, peerreviewed scientific contributions to the ICABR Conference held June 12-14, 2008 in Ravello, Italy. The conference theme, The Future of Agricultural Biotechnology: Creative Destruction, Adoption, or Irrelevance? in Honor of Vittorio Santaniello, was an invitation to look at the current status of scientific knowledge in agricultural biotechnology and to the new challenges ahead. Participants from around the world found their way to the Amalfi Coast to present their contributions and begin to pave the road ahead. Their efforts were framed by seven excellent plenary sessions.biotechnology; research & development; economic growth

Irreversibility, Uncertainty and the Adoption of Transgenic Crops: the Case of BT-Maize in France

This study applies a real option approach to quantify, ex-ante, the maximum incremental social tolerable irreversible costs that would justify immediate adoption of Bt maize in France. Based on field trials, we find that incremental private reversible benefits in the agricultural sector are -18 million euro yearly for maize for animal feed and 1 million euro yearly for maize for human consumption. Incremental social irreversible benefits from reduced insecticide use are negligible. The maximum incremental social tolerable irreversible costs are -28 million euro yearly for maize for animal feed and 0.4 million Euro yearly for maize for human consumption.Bt maize, real option, France, field trials, irreversible social costs, Crop Production/Industries, D6, D8, Q1,

The maximum incremental social tolerable irreversible costs (MISTICs) and other benefits and costs of introducing transgenic maize in the EU-15

The decision to release a new transgenic crop variety for planting in the European Union (EU) is a decision under irreversibility and uncertainty. We use a real option model to assess the ex-ante incremental benefits and costs of the decision to release Bt maize and HT maize in the EU-15 member states. The analysis uses Eurostat data for modelling the benefits and costs of non-transgenic maize using partial equilibrium models. The farm-level benefits and costs of Bt maize and HT maize are derived from field trials conducted within the EU-funded ECOGEN project in combination with secondary data sources. Adoption curves, hurdle rates and Maximum Incremental Social Tolerable Irreversible Costs (MISTICs) are calculated at country level for selected EU-15 member states. In general, the results show that the MISTICs on a per capita level are very small confirming previous results calculated in values for the year 1995. The MISTICs per farm are much larger. This indicates a problem for decision makers.agriculture policy, biotechnology, GMOs, MISTICs,technical change

Does Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Modified Food Grant Consumers the Right to Know? Evidence from an Economic Experiment

Opponents of the voluntary labeling scheme for genetically modified (GM) food products often argue that consumers have the ?right to know? and therefore advocate mandatory labeling. In this paper we argue against this line of reasoning. Using experimental auctions conducted with a sample of the resident population of Mannheim, Germany, we show that the quality of the informational signal generated by a mandatory labeling scheme is affected by the number of labels in the market. If there are two labels, one for GM products and one for non-GM products, mandatory and voluntary labeling schemes generate a similar degree of uncertainty about the quality of products that do not carry a label. --labeling,genetically modified foods,consumer preferences,experimental auctions

Bt and Ht Corn versus Conventional Pesticide and Herbicide Use. Do Environmental Impacts Differ?

In this paper we empirically assess and compare the environmental impact of pesticide programs for Bt, Ht (glufosinate) and conventional corn in Europe, employing the Environmental Impact Quotient. We use field trial data from Narbons, France 2004 as well as secondary data. Our results show that management of Bt corn has a lower environmental impact than conventional corn programs. Herbicide treatment of the Ht variety also has a much lower environmental impact than that of the two conventional programs. Our empirical findings support the argument of lower environmental and health impacts with respect to pesticide use when growing Bt and Ht corn. The outcomes are relevant for environmental benefit-cost analysis of Bt and Ht corn.EIQ, pesticide use, Bt, Ht corn, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q10, Q16,

The Impact of Labeling Practices on Perceived Quality of GM Food Products: A Revealed Preferences Approach

This article contributes to the ongoing discussion about the impact of different labeling practices on the quality of genetically modified (GM) food products as perceived by the consumer. Thus far, many studies have adopted a stated preferences approach, finding that consumers have different willingness to pay for GM and non-GM products. This article offers an empirically tractable theoretical model that can be used easily to investigate the impact of GM labeling practices on the perceived quality of GM food products, making use of market data.consumer preferences, genetically modified food products, labeling, quality, variety, elasticity of substitution, Consumer/Household Economics, Q11, Q18, D12,

Overview of special issue from the 2009 ICABR Conference

Until the recent financial crisis, biology-based industries were some of the most rapidly growing sectors of the world economy—the biofuels business was booming, agriculture commodity prices were high, agricultural biotechnology firms were making record profits, and the pharmaceutical industry was increasingly based on biologics. A recent European Union report has estimated that the contribution of modern biotechnology to the European Union’s gross value added is just under 2%, about the same size as the contribution of all agriculture or the chemical industry. The financial crisis has had impacts on the bio-economy, and these impacts will continue. The bio-economy has been ‘emerging’ for some time now and questions about what exactly fits into the bioeconomy, how important it is, and how large it will be in the future are important topics for debate. Within the bioeconomy, some components are emerging, but several major constraints to further growth still exist. These aspects and a few more were discussed at the 13th International Consortium on Agricultural Biotechnology Research (ICABR) conference on ‘The Emerging Bioeconomy.’1 This special issue includes a selection of 10 articles presented at the conference. The issue further includes a summary of the key findings from the conference as well as the Santaniello Memorial Lecture given by Odin Knudsen, Managing Director of Environmental Markets at J.P. Morgan.bioeconomy; technical change

Does mandatory labeling of genetically modified food grant consumers the right to know? : evidence from an economic experiment

Opponents of the voluntary labeling scheme for genetically modified (GM) food products often argue that consumers have the “right to know” and therefore advocate mandatory labeling. In this paper we argue against this line of reasoning. Using experimental auctions conducted with a sample of the resident population of Mannheim, Germany, we show that the quality of the informational signal generated by a mandatory labeling scheme is affected by the number of labels in the market. If there are two labels, one for GM products and one for non-GM products, mandatory and voluntary labeling schemes generate a similar degree of uncertainty about the quality of products that do not carry a label

Editor’s introduction. the future of agricultural biotechnology: creative destruction, adoption, or irrelevance?–in honor of Prof. Vittorio Santaniello.

With the death of Prof. Vittorio Santaniello in the summer of 2007, the International Consortium for Agricultural Biotechnology Research (ICABR) lost one of its most enthusiastic founders and most important contributors. This special issue celebrates Prof. Santaniello’s commitment to the establishment of an independent forum of discussion for agricultural biotechnology issues by collecting high-quality, peerreviewed scientific contributions to the ICABR Conference held June 12-14, 2008 in Ravello, Italy. The conference theme, The Future of Agricultural Biotechnology: Creative Destruction, Adoption, or Irrelevance? in Honor of Vittorio Santaniello, was an invitation to look at the current status of scientific knowledge in agricultural biotechnology and to the new challenges ahead. Participants from around the world found their way to the Amalfi Coast to present their contributions and begin to pave the road ahead. Their efforts were framed by seven excellent plenary sessions

Editor’s introduction. the future of agricultural biotechnology: creative destruction, adoption, or irrelevance?–in honor of Prof. Vittorio Santaniello.

With the death of Prof. Vittorio Santaniello in the summer of 2007, the International Consortium for Agricultural Biotechnology Research (ICABR) lost one of its most enthusiastic founders and most important contributors. This special issue celebrates Prof. Santaniello’s commitment to the establishment of an independent forum of discussion for agricultural biotechnology issues by collecting high-quality, peerreviewed scientific contributions to the ICABR Conference held June 12-14, 2008 in Ravello, Italy. The conference theme, The Future of Agricultural Biotechnology: Creative Destruction, Adoption, or Irrelevance? in Honor of Vittorio Santaniello, was an invitation to look at the current status of scientific knowledge in agricultural biotechnology and to the new challenges ahead. Participants from around the world found their way to the Amalfi Coast to present their contributions and begin to pave the road ahead. Their efforts were framed by seven excellent plenary sessions