Abstract
Bovine Growth Hormone has been beset by controversy since before its public introduction. The reasons for this are numerous but all rooted in the economic and policy uncertainty surrounding a transitional agriculture. The major sources of the controversy are outlined in this paper as the author explains how little of the ensuing discussion has been based on positive knowledge of either bGH or its likely farm impact. The paper, as a result, raises important questions about the implications of addressing agriculture policy changes in the highly emotionally charged context of present American agriculture.
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William P. Browne is Professor of Political Science, Central Michigan University. His major area of research is the agricultural and rural policy process but he has done previous work in urban and aging policy. In addition to numerous articles, he has published a series of five books on agriculture and rural policy, as well as the forthcomingPrivate Interests, Public Policy, and American Agriculture. In 1985–86 he was a visiting scholar with the Economic Research Service, USDA.
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Browne, W.P. Bovine Growth Hormone and the politics of uncertainty: Fear and loathing in a transitional agriculture. Agric Hum Values 4, 75–80 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01535217
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01535217