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92 lJoolRninw
exunple, uwell ugeographical references. The book's utility could also be enhanced by
more developed examples of Ittategies for education and change. However it in no way
purports to be a 'how so' manual so this may be an unfair criticism. Its aim is to increase
infonnation and awareness, and SOstimulate discussion and appropriate action bued on
sound analysis. Inthese aims it should succeed very well.
Reviewed by Helen Jackson, Lecturer, School of Social Work. Harare.
Miracle or Menace? Biotechnology and the Third World, Robert Walgate, Panos
Institute, 1990 (199 pp, price not stated, ISBN 1 870670 18 3).
The word biotechnology is emotive. Recently, I wrote an article arguing that science cannot
be separated from emotion, though the temptation is to say 'Stop being emotional and
appI'oach the matter in a scientific way'. Scientifically, biotechnology is almost a miracle
(Science doesn't believe in miracles !).It is leading science into discoveries and possibilities
beyond that which many laypeople could imagine is possible. But this also is the menace.
I remember Pat Mooney giving a talk at a Conference in Harare two years ago. He warned
that when approaching the issue of biotechnology a basic Law of Technology should not be
forgotten. He phrased it as follows: «Any new technology introduced into a society which
is oot timdamentally just will exacerbate the disparities between rich and poor". [On page
107 there is an interesting printing error, instead of 'so patients can be identified early' it
reads 'so patents can be identified early'. Is biotechnology as it is being researched and
applied more interested in the patents or the patients?}
While reading Miracle or Menace? Biotechnology and the Third World, both the
Development Dialogue 1988 issue ''The Laws of Life" and the New Internationalist 1991
issue "Test Tube Coup. Biotech's Global Takeover" were important to me. I would certainly
recommend that all three publications are read to gain a comprehensive picture of the
implications of this (terrifying?) new technology. Miracle or Menace is the one to start
with, because it has an accessible style, helped by useful informational inserts which give
point by point explanations on topics such as Recombinant DNA, .plant cells, vaccines, etc.
Miracle or Menacecovers themainareas of biotechnology application and controversy,
its potential use and abuse in agriculture and food processing, how itcan help improve world
health, ownenmpof plant genetic resources (most of which come from South, but are being
altered and patented by the North), and the possible unforeseen environmental dangers that
could be caused by therelease of novel organisms into the environment. But for some reason
it makes no mention of the potential use of biotechnology in biological warfare, nor how
research in this direction is going fast ahead. Perhaps the subject is too controversial, or the
information so classified that it is impossible to report on it satisfactorily.
Anotlw criticism I would make is that the book fails to question the whole premise on
which modem science seems to be based, ie treating the symptom rather than looking for
the real cause. A good example of this is in agriculture.' The real cause of the problem is
that agricultural science continues to look for ways of dominating nature, hoping to
understand and control its incredible complexiiy instead of working with it. The proposed
directions for biotechnology are a continuation of this trend. Any discussion of its beneficill
potential or dangers needs instead to debate this timdamentaI issue and not presume that
biotechnology should grow out of existing scientific paradigms, and often do not recognise
1>iodivezsity as a flmdamental prerequisite to sustainable food and energy production.
Robert Walgate, the author, outlines the aims of the book (the 'dossier') as:
* to clarify the basic science behind biotechnology
* to tackle controversies over the possible risks and benefits of biotechnology for
the poor
* to report stories, actual cases of applications, research programmes and policies.
The flTStaim is achieved in excellent fashion. The second is covered satisfactorily, but
the third, though a number of stories are reported. is inadequate. The Development
Dialogue issue 'The Laws of Life" achieves this third aim far more comprehensively by
giving precise data on what has taken place in research during the last 15 years, and what
the trends are in the corporate world where most of the research is being carried out.
Whatcomes out of the three publications mentioned in this review is that biotechnology
has potentially far reaching effects for us all. It is, therefore, important that we lay people
have some understanding of the implications. Miracle or Menace is a good introduction
to this, but does not answer the question posed.
Reviewed by John Wilson, Permaculture Association of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe.
References
Fowler Cary, Lachkovics Eva, Mooney Pat and Shand H~ (1988) "The Laws of Life.
Another Development and the New Biotechnologies' in Development Dialogue,
1988:1-2, Dag Hammarskjold Foundation, Uppsala.
New Internationalist (1991) "Test Tube Coup. Biotech's Global Takeover", March,No
217, Oxford.
Rural Communities under Stress. Peasant Farmers and the State in Africa, Jonathan
Barker, Cambridge University Press, African Society Today Series, Cambridge, 1989
(228pp, £8,95 pbk, £25 hbk, ISBN 0 521313589).
The stresSes on peasant communities do not all come from the State, and this book offers
a fairly comprehensive survey of them.
Peasant farming is described as touching on self-provisioning, full commercial farming
and scale of labour, and thus is a complex entity which is not easy to defme precisely. The
influences and stresses on it are equally complex: ecological, economic and political.
These, with less emphasis on the first. ~outlined along with the various solutions currently
on offer, all of which are found to have their dis.advantages. Some will take heart from the
conclusion that a worker-peasant alliance could be a viable political-economic strategy in
the hands of a longsighted government in control of its economy.
The wealth of material in this book makes it more dense than could be expected from
the declared intention of the series, to provide 'scholarly, but lively and up-to-date' books.
Scholarly and up-to-date it is, and for anyone seeking deeper understanding of the situation
and probIemsofthemajority of Africa's agriculturalists, and ofpolicy-malcers in this regard,
it will reward the careful reading which it demands.
Reviewed by Brian MacGmy SJ, Silveira House, Harare, Zimbabwe.