ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the theoretical and methodological considerations that guided this study. It is divided into two parts. The first is theoretical and begins with an overview of social research on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The second part presents the methodological decisions on how to approach the research problem, including the research design, case selection, the time periods for comparison and data sources. The unit of analysis is focused on global patterns of food production and commercialization, characterized by economic dependence and power asymmetries among countries, which in turn influence each countrys ability to shape such patterns, or, conversely, to adapt to them. Kloppenburg (2004) situates the role of biotechnology to processes of commodification in seeds, contributing to overcoming both technical and juridical barriers for capital penetration in plant breeding. In sum, scientific and policy culture is reliant on risk assessments that are part of the explanation of public controversies about GMOs rather than a solution to it.
