Technological Fixes I, Origins, Philosophy and Criticisms

Abstract

“Technological fix,” like “magic bullet,” is a key term in many critiques of agricultural biotechnology. And, like the magic bullet, the idea of a technological fix is a central element in the narrative of progress. Despite being a largely derisive label, the technological fix strategy continues to guide research in agricultural biotechnology. The objective of this chapter is to identify and clarify criticisms of the technological fix strategy. Carefully examining the technological fix strategy provides insights on how to move beyond the narrative crisis created by the conflict between technological optimism and technological pessimism. I argue that neither sweeping endorsements nor sweeping rejections of genetic or technological fixes in agriculture are justified. Rather, we need pragmatic critiques that identify defects and limitations inherent in of this strategy. Similar to the inherent defects of the reductive magic bullet strategy, the technological fix strategy needs to be corrected by placing innovations within a larger, more comprehensive context. Lessons from this chapter will be applied to evaluate examples of genetically engineered crops and production animals in Chap. 6.