The Future Control of Food. A Guide to International Negotiations and Rules on Intellectual Property, Biodiversity and Food Security

摘要

The Future Control of Food is a valuable addition to the vast literature on the commoditization of food and its effects on the livelihoods of poor people in 'developing' countries. Like related works, the contributors to the volume attempt to contrast individualized and short-term ideas of nature, property and benefits upheld by powerful actors in 'developed' countries with more localized understandings of and access to nutritious foodstuffs and biodiversity. The volume not only explains the bewildering array of rules and forums related to intellectual property (IP) and biodiversity in place as of the date of its publication (parts I and II), but also refers to a series of civil society movements that attempt to counteract market-oriented policies guiding the production, distribution and consumption of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture or PGRFA (part III). While the chapters are more descriptive than analytical, broad ethical issues of IP arise such as the incompatibility of ideas of nature, property and ownership in the farming and breeding sectors, contradictions and interrelations between public and private domains, and power struggles that have emerged between individuals, communities, nation states and international bodies.