Jennifer Thomson – författare

Genetically modified crops – are they monsters of nature or could they provide answers to some of our most pressing environmental concerns? Will they create superweeds, run amock and change life as we know it, or are these fears greatly exaggerated?

Internationally respected microbiologist Jennifer Thomson takes us through the issues and concerns surrounding the development of genetically modified crops and their impacts on the environment. She explains how such crops are developed and assessed and discusses the likelihood of negative effects on biodiversity, pollen spread, and organic farming. GM crops may have tremendous potential for addressing some of the world’s environmental problems and protecting the planet, particularly in developing countries – in fact we could face more harm if some of these technologies are not adopted.

Attitudes to GM crops continue to generate tension, even though they have been grown commercially for over 20 years. Negative sentiment towards their development limits their adoption in Western countries, despite there being no evidence of harm to human health. These unfounded concerns about genetically modified crops have also inhibited uptake in many countries throughout Africa and Asia, having a major impact on agricultural productivity and preventing the widespread cultivation of potentially life-saving crops.

GM Crops and the Global Divide traces the historical importance that European attitudes to past colonial influences, aid, trade and educational involvement have had on African leaders and their people. The detrimental impact that these attitudes have on agricultural productivity and food security continues to be of growing importance, especially in light of climate change, drought and the potential rise in sea levels – the effects of which could be mitigated by the cultivation of GM and gene-edited crops.

Following on from her previous books Genes for Africa, GM Crops: The Impact and the Potential and Food for Africa, Jennifer Thomson unravels the reasons behind these negative attitudes towards GM crop production. By addressing the detrimental effects that anti-GM opinions have on nutrition security in developing countries and providing a clear account of the science to counter these attitudes, she hopes to highlight and ultimately bridge this global divide.

This book provides a comprehensive study of abortion politics and policy in Northern Ireland. Whilst there is a substantial amount of literature on abortion in Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, there has been scant academic attention paid to the situation in Northern Ireland. Adopting a feminist institutionalist framework, the book illustrates the ways in which abortion has been addressed at both the national institution at Westminster and the devolved institution at Stormont. Covering the period from early peace process in the 1980s to the present day, the text will be of interest to politics scholars, but also sociologists, historians and students of Irish studies.