ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book expands upon existing research and makes an original contribution by undertaking a comparative study of Brazil and Argentina, a case of successful social mobilization and a case of absence thereof. It explores the differences in the paths of adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops that are strongly related to differences in the processes of social mobilization while also tracing and explaining the changes over time. The book covers a wide array of topics that social movements have raised: from scientific debates to agrarian policy, as well as consumer rights and legal debates, bridging urban-based struggles and mobilizations on the countryside. Central for addressing the books aim are the political economy and the political ecology of the production of GM crops. In addition to the macro-sociological themes, the book identifies and investigates actors and their interactions.
