Brave New Crops 2012 syllabus

Date Note Topic Readings (see the notes on readings, especially for readings with *)
TU, Jan 17   Introduction to the course (ppt) Quiz and results
TH, Jan 19   Origins of genetic modification (ppt)

- *Charles 2002, Lords of the Harvest
- Stone 2002, Both Sides Now

TU, Jan 24   Products and transatlantic disputes (ppt)
TH, Jan 26   Developing world, resistance, and polarization (ppt) Schurman and Munro 2010:57-67, from Fighting for the Future of Food
- optional: Jasanoff 2005, Designs on Nature; Stone 2010:386-87, Reactions and Resistance (from Anthropology of Genetically Modified Crops); Hobsbawm 1952, The Machine Breakers; Stone 2005, A Science of the Gray
TU, Jan 31 Quiz 1 Feeding the World (ppt) - Borlaug 2000, Are We Going Mad?
- Stone 2010, Neo-Malthusianism
- Sen 1981, chapter 1 from Poverty and Famine
- optional: Sen 1993, Economics of Life & Death, pp. 40-42;
W, Feb 1
7 pm
optional session
McMillan 149
Central dogma review Crick and Chrispeels & Sadava (see next class)
TH, Feb 02 Prof. Ho Central dogma and transformation (ppt) - Crick 1970, Central Dogma of Molecular Biology
- Chrispeels & Sadava, Molecular Basis of Genetic Modification Ch 6
TU, Feb 07 Prof. Kunkel After transformation (pdf) - no reading but start on Kloppenburg!
TH, Feb 09 Quiz 2 Breeding & commodification (ppt) - *Kloppenburg Chaps 1-6
TU, Feb 14   IPR basics (ppt) -Stone 2011, Baseball Bats and Breast Cancer
-Conley 2009, Gene Patents and the Product of Nature Doctrine
-Pollack 2012, Justices Send Back Gene Case
TH, Feb 16 Prof. Andrew Torrance Gene patents, the gene concept, and the patent concept (pdf) -Torrance 2010, Gene Concepts, Gene Talk, and Gene Patents
TU, Feb 21   WTO (ppt) - Lessig 2004, Taste of Our Own Poison
- Crucible II Group 2000 (Seeding Solutions, pp. 86-108)
TH, Feb 23 Quiz 3 WTO (ppt) - Stone 2011, GM Crops from St. Louis to India (mainly #8, "Resistance and Counter-Terrorism in St Louis")
TU, Feb 28 Prof. Schaal Gene flow and Mexican maize (2011)

- SKIM Quist & Chapela 2001 (also as pdf ), Quist & Chapela 2002 including editorial note,Ortiz-Garcia et al. 2005, Piñeyro et al 2009, Snow et al. 2003
- Soleri et al. 2006, Transgenic Crops and Crop Varietal Diversity: The Case of Maize in Mexico
- Ellstrand 2001, When transgenes wander, should we worry

TH, Mar 01   Debating gene flow (ppt) - Monbiot 2002, Fake Persuaders (including the CFFAR site & Smetacek petition)
-
Waltz 2009, Battlefield
- optional: Chapela 2006 (Scandal reveals political greed); Berkeley webcast on scientific dissent; index to articles on Chapela; WP article on internet shills and meat puppets
TU, Mar 06 Prof. Olsen Superweeds (Olsen, Stone) - Neuman & Pollack 2010, Farmers Cope with Roundup-Resistant Weeds
- Hague & Sprague 2000, Weed Resistance to Herbicides
- Charles 2012 NPR report on Palmer amaranth
TH, Mar 08 Midterm 1
Mar 13-15 Spring Break
TU, Mar 20   Regulation in US and Europe (ppt) - Martineau 2001, First Fruit
TH, Mar 22   Regulation and Biosecurity (ppt) - Stone 2011, New GM Grass
TU, Mar 27   Global biodiversity disputes (ppt) - Kloppenburg Chap. 7
TH, Mar 29 Quiz 4 Industry-Academy relations (ppt) - Kloppenburg Chap. 8
- optional: Press and Washburn 2000, The Kept University
TU, Apr 03   Golden Rice and pro-poor biotech (ppt) - Nash 2000, This Rice Could Save a Million Kids a Year
TH, Apr 05 Dr. Nigel Taylor GM Crops for Africa (pdf) SKIM:
- Sayre et al 2011, The BioCassava Plus Program: Biofortification of Cassava for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Taylor et al. 2012, The VIRCA Project
TU, Apr 10 Field trip DDPSC  
TH, Apr 12   China, Africa, S. America (ppt) - Thomson 2002, Genes for Africa: GM Crops in the Developing World, 1st page
- Paarlberg 2008, Starved for Science, excerpt
- optional: Richards 1997, African Green Revolution?, pp. 201-214 and 242-244
TU, Apr 17   India (ppt) - Leonard 2007, Ganesh and Brahma bow to a new god
- Stone 2011, Field vs Farm in Warangal
- strongly recommended: Bitter Seeds film
- recommended: Stone 2012, Bt Cotton, Remarkable Success, and Four Ugly Facts
TH, Apr 19   Food quality & ethics (ppt) - Pollan 2007, Unhappy Meals
- Schlosser 2001, Food Product Design (from Fast Food Nation)
- recommended: Petersen 2012, What Are Animal Scientists Serving?
Mo, Apr 23   Meat Ethics Panel (ppt)
TU, Apr 24 Dr. Vandeventer Alternative agriculture (pdf) - visit Davis Creek Farm website
- Raftery 2011, New Food Culture
- Salatin 2010, Can We Feed the World?
- recommended: Walker 2012, Contemporary Agrarianism: A Reality Check
TH, Apr 26 Midterm 2