A Tale of Two Botanies

The authors critique 'the new botany' of genetic engineering, contrasting it with traditional botany and evolutionary biology. They argue that transgenic crops are developed for patentability and profit rather than productivity or subsistence, leading to ecological hazards such as 'superweeds' and the disruption of species barriers. The text compares the trajectory of transgenic technology to that of nuclear fission, suggesting it follows a pattern of overreach and eventual failure, and advocates for a biologically informed agriculture focused on fair food distribution.

• The authors claim that genetically engineered crops are designed for economic success and patentability rather than evolutionary fitness or the needs of subsistence farmers, primarily serving to increase livestock feed for the wealthy.
• The document asserts that transgenic manipulation lacks a true understanding of causal mechanisms and risks creating ecological disasters, including the emergence of 'superweeds' and the killing of non-target species like Monarch butterflies.
• Between 1995 and 1999, the area of non-Chinese farmland planted with genetically engineered crops grew from zero to approximately 200 million acres, with over 50% of the world's soybeans and 33% of corn containing spliced genes.
• The authors draw a parallel between transgenic crops and nuclear fission, suggesting both technologies evolved faster than the social institutions required to manage them and are following a five-stage cycle of hype, public concern, operational disappointment, and eventual decline.

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} }