A Tale of Two Botanies

A statement by Amory B. Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins critiquing the shift from traditional botany to 'genetic engineering' (transgenics), arguing that the latter prioritizes economic profit and patentability over ecological safety and biological wisdom.

• The authors distinguish between traditional agronomy, which transfers genes between plants that can naturally interbreed, and a 'new botany' or transgenics that mechanically transfers genes between organisms that cannot mate naturally, such as inserting an Arctic flounder antifreeze gene into a potato or strawberry.
• The document claims that genetically engineered crops are developed for economic success and patentability rather than productivity or the needs of subsistence farmers, often serving to increase livestock feed for wealthy populations.
• The authors highlight several ecological risks associated with transgenics, including the creation of 'superweeds' via herbicide-resistance genes, the killing of non-target species like Monarch butterflies by Bt insecticide in corn pollen, and the potential for pathogens to cross species barriers.
• Between 1995 and 1999, non-Chinese farmland planted with genetically engineered crops grew from zero to approximately one-eighth of a billion acres, an area comparable in size to Germany. Currently, over half of the world's soybeans and one-third of its corn contain spliced genes.
• The authors compare the trajectory of transgenic crops to that of nuclear fission, suggesting both technologies evolved technically faster than the social institutions required to manage them. They posit a five-stage cycle of rise and fall, placing the United States at stage 2 and Europe at stage 4.

APA

Lovins, A. B., & Lovins, L. H. (1999). A Tale of Two Botanies. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_B99-11_Tale2Botanies.pdf

Chicago

Lovins, Amory B., and L. Hunter Lovins. A Tale of Two Botanies. RMI, 1999. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_B99-11_Tale2Botanies.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Lovins |first1=Amory B. |last2=Lovins |first2=L. Hunter |title=A Tale of Two Botanies |publisher=RMI |date=25 July 1999 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_B99-11_Tale2Botanies.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{lovins1999tale, author = {Lovins, Amory B. and Lovins, L. Hunter}, title = {{A Tale of Two Botanies}}, publisher = {RMI}, year = {1999}, month = jul, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_B99-11_Tale2Botanies.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }