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Illegal GMO releases and corporate responsibility: Questioning the effectiveness of voluntary measures

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  • Clapp, Jennifer

Abstract

Recent years have seen a number of cases of 'accidental' or 'unintentional' releases of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that were not approved for human consumption or in some cases even for commercial planting. The environmental, economic, and social implications of the release of unapproved varieties of GMOs are potentially significant. The agricultural input industry has recently embraced Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting and some of its major players are participants in the UN's Global Compact. While CSR and the Global Compact encourage internalization of environmental costs and application of the precautionary principle amongst firms, in the case of illegal GMO releases these measures have proven extremely weak. In the case of illegal GMO releases, external, state-based regulation which places liability squarely on firms is likely to be much more successful as a means to prevent future occurrences of this problem.

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  • Clapp, Jennifer, 2008. "Illegal GMO releases and corporate responsibility: Questioning the effectiveness of voluntary measures," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2-3), pages 348-358, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:66:y:2008:i:2-3:p:348-358
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Aslaksen, Iulie & Ingeborg Myhr, Anne, 2007. ""The worth of a wildflower": Precautionary perspectives on the environmental risk of GMOs," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(3), pages 489-497, January.
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    4. Colin Macilwain, 2005. "US launches probe into sales of unapproved transgenic corn," Nature, Nature, vol. 434(7032), pages 423-423, March.
    5. Colin Macilwain, 2005. "Stray seeds had antibiotic-resistance genes," Nature, Nature, vol. 434(7033), pages 548-548, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ramani, Shyama & Mukherjee, Vivekananda, 2010. "CSR and market changing product innovations: Indian case studies," MERIT Working Papers 2010-026, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    2. Doris Fuchs & Agni Kalfagianni & Jennifer Clapp & Lawrence Busch, 2011. "Introduction to symposium on private agrifood governance: values, shortcomings and strategies," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 28(3), pages 335-344, September.
    3. Mukherjee, Vivekananda & Ramani, Shyama V., 2011. "Voluntary agreements and community development as CSR in innovation strategies," MERIT Working Papers 2011-016, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    4. Kvakkestad, Valborg & Vatn, Arild, 2011. "Governing uncertain and unknown effects of genetically modified crops," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(3), pages 524-532, January.

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