Bountiful Harvest: Technology, Food Safety, and the Environment

In this provocative new book, Thomas R. DeGregori debunks anti-science environmental activists, and lays out the case for employing modern technology in modern agriculture. DeGregori argues that innovations such as bioengineered foods have increased life expectancy, crop yields and generally improved human well-being. The AgBiotech Reporter calls DiGregori’s book “the ideal handbook for anyone who wants to understand the opponents of progress.”

“DeGregori has written a book that should be ‘must’ reading for anyone interested in advancing the conditions of civilization. He exposes the myths and disinformation espoused by anti-technology elitists to denigrate the human ingenuity that has added so much to our quality and quantity of life. His effort to set the record straight on DDT is particularly commendable.”
–Steve Milloy, Author, Junk Science Judo

“As Prof. DeGregori emphasizes, the world is better fed, healthier, and longer lived than ever before, thanks to technology. He provides chapter and verse to support his thesis and deplores those policies that would deny the world’s poorest the benefits of certain life-saving technologies. A thoroughly researched and entertaining read with a serious purpose.”
–Mihaela Y. Smith, Chief Executive, Commonwealth Partnership for Technology Management

“Prof. DeGregori presents a powerful argument that technology, like art, expresses the creativity of human beings. Being human means creating and using technology. From this correct understanding of the human relationship to technology, DeGregori shows that ‘we need not less technology but more intelligent use of it.’ Whether we make intelligent use of our creative capacities depends on whether we use them for the betterment of others, our societies, and ourselves.”
–Prof. Drew L. Kershen, University of Oklahoma

Thomas DeGregori is a professor of economics at the University of Houston. He is the author of A Theory of Technology and The Environment, Our Natural Resources, and Modern Technology, as well as a frequent contributor to the American Council on Science and Health and its webzine, Health​Fact​sAnd​Fears​.com.