Seed exchange

Regulating technologies in diverse development contexts – looking back to look forward

by Adrian Ely, Vanesa Lowenstein and Yuhan Bao As part of the STEPS Centre’s final event on 8 December, we’ll be reflecting on the changes since the Centre’s project ‘Rethinking…

Getting hotter: Regulating biotechnology in India

by Ian Scoones, STEPS Centre co-director Biotechnology offers many potentials but also dangers. Regulation is clearly essential. But how, over what and with what measures is less clear. The debate…

BELLAGIO: THE FUTURE OF PHILANTHROPY

By ADRIAN ELY, STEPS Centre researcher I was lucky enough to participate in a fascinating discussion on global governance and regulation, organised as part of the Bellagio Initiative last week….

INEQUALITY AND FOOD: 10 TASKS FOR THE UK GOVERNMENT

by Erik Millstone, STEPS Centre Food and Agriculture co-convenor There are massive inequalities between industrialised and developing countries, and they have widened over the past 15 years, but there are…

THE IMPACT OF GLOBAL FINANCIAL TURMOIL ON CHINESE VILLAGES

By XIAOYUN LIANG and ADRIAN ELY, STEPS Centre From 29 November to 2 December 2008, we went to two villages in Tianmen county, Hubei province, in the middle of China….

CHINA RURAL REFORMS: WHAT IS A HOUSEHOLD?

ADRIAN ELY, STEPS Centre member reports with our partners professor Ding Shijun and Dr Chen Chuanbo on the challenges of conducting research in China’s changing rural areas In rural transitional…

RURAL REFORM IN CHINA: SETTING FARMERS FREE?

By JULIA DAY, STEPS Centre member On the day that the UK has nationalised some of its biggest banking institutions, China has announced bold new proposals to free up the…

RISKING REGULATORY CAPTURE AT THE UK’S FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY

By JULIA DAY, STEPS Centre member “The delivery of safe food and health governance is challenging and contested, and knowledge and institutions independent of vested interests are essential for public…

Rethinking regulation in China: decisions facing farmers

By ADRIAN ELY, STEPS Centre member See more photos from this project on our Flickr site The oilseed flowering season is almost over in central China, and cotton planting has…