Biotechnologies and agrifood strategies: opportunities, threats and economic implications

Abstract

The production of food employs different kinds of biotechnologies, some of which are more controversial than others. The public and the agrifood sector have developed a number of responses to address their concerns about biotechnologies considered controversial. In this contribution the different strategies chosen by the agrifood sector in the EU in response to the introduction of new biotechnologies in the agrifood complex will be discussed. The contribution concentrates on the example of the introduction of genetically engineered crops and the strategic responses by the EU food industry, namely food processors and food retailers. The contribution concludes with an outlook on the future of the EU agrifood complex.