By now, I hope to have offered a different, more profound understanding of the Rothamsted GM wheat trials, in particular, and the GM controversy in general. By drawing on key literature in STS and notable contributions to contemporary sociological theory and conflict resolution, I hope to have demonstrated the central role social theory can play in our understanding of current conjunctures in the field of science and technology. This understanding is unsatisfactory, however, if it is not accompanied by courses of action aimed at a more inclusive and democratic social world. This book has suggested one way, among many, that the GM controversy can be approached theoretically and reframed practically.

The broad theoretical framework was built piece by piece in the first five chapters of the book. In Chapter 1, the need for a theoretical framework was recognized, as the newsworthy events of the Rothamsted field trials brought to the surface recurring themes of the broader GM debate. These actions were not limited to the rather expected instances of public protest, but also broached crucial issues such as the scientific disagreement on the safety and benefits of GMOs, concerns about corporate control of the food chain, worries that propagation of GM technology will come at the expense of other agricultural trajectories and more. These issues were also present in the public inquiries that the UK government launched throughout the past two decades. Nonetheless, regardless of the reservations expressed by scientists, professional associations and bodies of the civil society, in 2015 the UK government decided to allow cultivation in English soil, while Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all opted- out, citing scientific uncertainty and public apprehension regarding the technology. At the very least, what all this tells us is that the GM debate is not comprised of a litany of free- floating events, but is a conjuncture embedded in the broader social, political, economic and cultural environments. It follows then that this is not a scientific issue, but a topic which, like a lightning rod, attracts much broader concerns.