This article explores the development and adoption of hybrid seeds and genetically engineered crops and discusses issues related to consumer acceptance, environmental concerns, potential benefits and costs, intellectual property rights, and industry structure. Food Safety and International Trade in the Twenty-first Century by Jean C. Buzby and Donna Roberts Countries vary tremendously in terms of food safety risk exposure, assessment, mitigation methods, policies, and perceptions, attitudes, and acceptance by the public. However, some food safety policies restricting imports are seen by other countries as primarily shielding domestic producers from competition and this causes friction among regulators and trading partners. At the turn of the century many countries are entering a period of severe water shortage. A recent study by the International Water Management Institute, estimates that 2.7 billion people, one-third of the world's population, will live in regions that will face severe water scarcity.
Water scarcity leads to overexploitation of groundwater and to declining water quality.
As we search for ways to grow more food with less water, solutions also must be found to groundwater and surface water pollution. National and international development agencies are paying too little attention to the growing water scarcity and its implications for food security and the welfare of the poor. Nutraceuticals blur the line between foods and drugs and represent the fastest growing segment of the U.S. food and pharmaceutical industries. This article examines the nutraceutical phenomenon in the United States. The size and scope of the industry and major drivers of industry growth are summarized.