Mediating the GM Foods Debate: Lessons from the Enduring Conflict Framework

Critics of the commercialization of Genetically Modified (GM) foods in Canada and the United States oppose the economic and political forces that create and approve the technology: the industry that develops it and the governments that approve its use. The conventional narrative pits the concerned public, labeled "anti-GM," against the "pro-GM" interests of industry supported by business-friendly governments. Based on this binary view of the interests and motivations of stakeholders, conflict between government and industry appears minimal and regulatory frameworks for genetically engineered crops look as though they are primarily designed to facilitate those technologies. This paper refocuses the current "enduring conflict" in GM food politics as a problem primarily between industry and government, not exclusively between the public and industry/government.