Genetic techniques for livestock breeding: Restructuring institutional relationships in agriculture David Gibbs a, * , Lewis Holloway a , Ben Gilna a , Carol Morris b a Department of Geography, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK b School of Geography, University of Nottingham, UK article info Article history: Received 25 November 2008 Received in revised form 13 July 2009 Keywords: Livestock breeding Genetics Science Institutional change UK abstract This paper explores some of the key institutional transformations in livestock breeding associated with the increasing significance of genetic techniques, situating this within an assessment of an emerging agri- cultural bioeconomy. Focusing on beef cattle and sheep breeding in the United Kingdom, the paper exam- ines how a move towards the involvement of international and corporate interests in livestock breeding is restructuring the network of institutional interests affecting the knowledge and decision making of individual breeders. The paper suggests that the structural transformation of beef cattle and sheep breed- ing is complicated by the need for negotiation between breeders’ ‘traditional’ knowledge-practices and the ‘geneticised’ techniques being made available to them. We are thus seeing the emergence of new and complex interactions between the major actors which are reconfiguring power relationships in the UK livestock breeding sector. Ó 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Our focus in this paper is on the implications for institutional relationships in agriculture of ‘geneticised’ (Gannett, 1999) knowl- edge-practices in the UK’s livestock breeding sector. Two types of knowledge-practice are relevant here. First, ‘classical’ genetics is concerned with statistical correlations between phenotype and genotype – genes themselves are not identified, but patterns of inheritance are understood within a probabilistic framework. Sec- ond, a molecular approach to genetics aims to identify the specific genetic elements that are biochemically involved in producing a particular phenotype – a particular (typically small) sequence of DNA within the comparatively vast genome of the organism is recognised as a gene 1 contributing to a trait. Increasingly, molecular genetics research is using a genomic approach, in which a great many (e.g. thousands) of genetic elements are analysed for their sub- tle, networked contributions to traits of interest (Bulfield, 2000). In this paper, we focus on genetic techniques, but recognise the close links between genetic and genomic science and practice. Both classical and molecular genetics can be used to guide breeding decisions, although only a molecular understanding of genetics can enable the practice of genetic modification. In contrast to some other agricultural sectors, it may be some time before genetically modified (GM) farm animals become commercially available, but other applications of genetic knowledge-practice are already in use as this paper will go on to describe. These forms of genetic knowledge-practice are claimed to have major potential benefits for the competitiveness and sustainability of livestock farming (Bishop and Wooliams, 2004). Genetic knowledge-practices are therefore, currently and increasingly in use (Royal Society, 2001). Moreover, the introduc- tion of these forms of knowledge-practice and new ways of under- standing animals is in turn beginning to have an important impact upon sectoral organisation and, in particular, upon existing knowl- edge networks and practices. This paper therefore, builds upon a tradition of research which has been concerned with the effects of the increasingly powerful influence of biotechnology within agriculture (Goodman et al., 1987; Goodman and Redclift, 1991; Levidow, 1996). This work argued that changing technologies give rise to power shifts within the agricultural sector towards corpo- rate interests with variable responses over space, as different farm businesses and different regions respond in variable ways to the possibilities raised by technological change (Whatmore, 1994). The benefits and dis-benefits of technological change are differen- tially experienced, varying according to, for example, availability of resources, geographical location and cultural context. In this inter- pretation, the livestock industry is moving towards domination by corporate interests as it becomes part of a wider international bio- economy, encouraged and supported by national policies and international institutional arrangements. The variable response by livestock breeding and farming businesses to genetic technolo- 0016-7185/$ - see front matter Ó 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2009.07.011 * Corresponding author. E-mail address: d.c.gibbs@hull.ac.uk (D. Gibbs). 1 Sequences can also be identified as being involved in modulating the function of these genes. Geoforum 40 (2009) 1041–1049 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Geoforum journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/geoforum