Machine generated contents note: Introduction; 1. Scientific background; 2. Application of genetics to agriculture; 3. Philosophical and conceptual background; 4. The controversy : ideological and theological objections; 5. The controversy : purported benefits; 6. The controversy : purported harms; 7. The organic alternative; 8. Impact on low and middle income countries : poverty, farming, and colonial legacies; Concluding remarks.