Human Geography

Research Group: Genetic engineering in Indian agriculture

  • Project Summary
  • People
  • Publications
  • Presentations
  • Contact Details


Project Summary
As one of the first countries in the Global South, India has spoken out in favor of biotechnology as an instrument for promoting economic growth in domestic agriculture. In the current strategy paper on the development of the national biotechnology sector, the Indian government describes genetic engineering as a sunrise sector, which will prepare the country for its “march towards world-class technological competence” (DBT 2014: 3f.). Our project, financed by the German Research Foundation (DFG), examines the role of knowledge and ignorance in the current debate about agricultural biotechnology in India using the example of genetically engineered cotton. Using perspectives and concepts of Science and Technology Studies, we examine how transnational corporations, globally connected non-profit organizations, political party-affiliated farmers associations and governmental extension services produce, circulate, and apply knowledge about genetic engineering in India. Under the headline of “ignorance” we aim at clarifying the question of which reductions in knowledge occur in the translation between the actors, especially between science, politics and industry on the one hand and rural communities on the other. The aim of the project is to contribute to a deeper, empirically grounded understanding of the spread of biotechnology in the countries of the Global South.


People

  • Dr. Markus Keck
    Research Group Leader
    Goldschmidtstr. 5, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
    Room 5.134
    Tel +49-551-39-8086
  • Katharina Najork M.Sc.
    Research Associate
    Goldschmidtstr. 5, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
    Room 5.133
    Tel +49-551-39-8085
  • Hannah Bondy B.Sc.
    Student Assistant
    Goldschmidtstr. 5, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
    Room 5.124
    Tel +49-551-39-19738


Alumni

    Jonathan Friedrich (Student Assistant)
    Maj Kraus (Student Assistant)
    Luisa Knobloch (Research Associate)
    Janes Grewer (Student Assistant)
    Maria Kaiser (Student Assistant)


Publications

  • NAJORK, K., REEH, T. (2021): Transgenes Saatgut in der Baumwollproduktion Indiens – Chancen und Risiken für Kleinbäuerinnen und Kleinbauern. In: Praxis Geographie 51 (3): submitted
  • NAJORK, K., GADELA, S., NADIMINTI, P., SRIRAMULU, G., REDDY, R., HARIBABU, E., KECK, M. (2020): The return of pink bollworm in India’s Bt cotton fields: livelihood vulnerabilities of farming households in Karimnagar District. In: Progress in Development Studies (accepted)
  • NAJORK, K., KECK, M. (2020): From blessing to curse? The return of pink bollworm and its impacts on the livelihoods of Bt cotton farmers in Telangana, India. In: BUTSCH, C., FOLLMANN, A., MÜLLER, J. (Eds.): Geographien Südasiens. Aktuelle Forschungsbeiträge zu Südasien. Proceedings of the South Asia Study Group in the German Geographical Society (DGfG). Vol. 12: accepted
  • KECK, M. (2019): Worlding countrysides: Das Globale in der Auseinandersetzung um gentechnisch veränderte Baumwolle in Indien. In: Mießner, M., Naumann, M. (Eds.): Kritische Geographien ländlicher Entwicklung. Globale Transformationen und lokale Herausforderungen. Westfälisches Dampfboot, Münster: 100–115
  • KNOBLOCH, L., KECK, M. (2018): Transgenic Food Crops for India? The Politicization of a Controversial Technology. In: BUTSCH, C., FOLLMANN, A. (Eds.): Geographien Südasiens. Aktuelle Forschungsbeiträge zu Südasien. Proceedings of the South Asia Study Group in the German Geographical Society (DGfG). Volume 10: 16–19


Presentations

  • KECK, M. (2020): Fiktionale Wirtschaftsgeographien der nachhaltigen Entwicklung. Gentechnisch veränderte Baumwolle in Indien zwischen Vision und Wirklichkeit. Appointment procedure of professorship on Economic Geography at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. 4 June 2020, Würzburg / Germany
  • KECK, M., BEISEL, A. (2020): Science, Technology & Development: STS and geographical development studies. Session within New Cultural Geographies XVII. University of Bonn. 30 January–01 February 2020, Bonn / Germany
  • KECK, M. (2020): Widerspenstige Bauern? Widerspenstige Gene? (Un-)Sichtbarkeiten in der Kontroverse um den Verlust der Wirksamkeit von Bt-Baumwolle in Indien. Neue Kulturgeographie XVII. University of Bonn. 30 January–01 February 2020, Bonn / Germany
  • NAJORK, K. (2020): From blessing to curse? The return of pink bollworm and its impacts on the livelihoods of Bt-cotton farmers in Telangana, India. 10th Annual Meeting of the South Asia Specialty Group in the German Society of Geography. 24–25 January 2020, Freiburg / Germany
  • KECK, M. (2019): Unruly peasants? Unruly genes? (In-)Visibilities in the controversy about the potential loss of effectiveness of Bt cotton in India. Workshop “Digitized natures”. Geographisches Institut, Universität Bonn. 02.–03.12.2019
  • BUTSCH, C., KECK, M. (2019): Transformation beyond the city: rural and periurban spaces in the Global South. Session within German Congress of Geography. University of Kiel. 25–30 September 2019, Kiel / Germany
  • KECK, M. (2019): Worlding countrysides, or the making of world-class agriculture in India. Appointment procedure of professorship on Human Geography (Development Studies) at Freie Universität Berlin. 28-29 January 2019, Berlin / Germany
  • KECK, M. (2018): Worlding countrysides, or the making of world-class agriculture in India. International symposium on the global countryside. Final conference of the ERC project “Global-Rural”. 13.–15.11.2018, Newtown / Wales, UK
  • KECK, M., FOLLMANN, A. (2018): Agrarian transformations in the Global South: Technological change and socio-ecological consequences. Session within Global Conference on Economic Geography. University of Cologne. 24–28 July 2018, Cologne / Germany
  • KECK, M. (2018): Worlding countrysides: Genetically engineered crop plants in the Indian political debate. Global Conference on Economic Geography. University of Cologne. 24–28 July 2018, Cologne / Germany
  • KNOBLOCH, L. (2018): Gentechnik in der Landwirtschaft Indiens – eine Politik des Wissens und Nicht-Wissens. 8. Annual Meeting of the South Asia Study Group within German Geographical Society. 19–20 January 2018, Cologne / Germany
  • KECK, M. (2017): Biogenetics in Indian agriculture: Politics of knowledge and non-knowledge. Workshop. Food Systems: Production, Trade, Consumption. 27–28.10.2017, Cologne / Deutschland
  • KRAMM, J., KECK, M. (2017): Knowledge and non-knowledge in dealing with social-ecological risks. Session within German Congress of Geography. University of Tuebingen. 30 September–5 October 2017, Tuebingen / Germany
  • KECK, M. (2017): Relevantes Wissen - Irrelevantes Nichtwissen? Neue Fragen für die geographische Risikoforschung. New Cultural Geography XIV. 26–28 January 2017, Bayreuth / Germany


Contact Details
Dr. Markus Keck
University of Goettingen
Institute of Geography
Goldschmidtstrasse 5
37077 Goettingen
Email markus.keck@geo.uni-goettingen.de
Further details: https://www.researchgate.net/project/Politics-of-knowledge-and-non-knowledge-agricultural-biotechnology-in-India