内容简介：
This is an examination of the origins of controversies regarding the use and conservation of plant genetic information, which have become major obstacles in international negotiations on trade, agriculture and biodiversity conservation. The text stresses the importance of agricultural politics in directing developments in conservation and intellectual property protection. Evidence for this argument is derived from historical and contemporary data on Europe and the USA, as well as fieldwork in Latin America. The topics covered include: the role of PGR in historic agro-food orders; conservation policies under the New Deal and the Nazi regime; and hybrids and plant patenting.