| Abstract: | The predominant position of large companies, while crucial for the acceptance of biotechnology, at the same time slows down the pace of biotechnological development and application. Large agrochemical and food processing companies are characterized by a number of internal barriers against applications of biotechnology in agriculture. They also show a greater sensibility to the external barriers than many small companies. Their takeover of agricultural biotechnology, therefore, has led to a more evolutionary than revolutionary development.Gerd Junne holds the Chair in International Relations at the Social Sciences Faculty of the University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands. His current research addresses strategies of multinational enterprises, changes in the international division of labor, and the impact of new technologies. He has been the editor of theBiotechnology and Development Monitor, published by the University of Amsterdam and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. |
