Critical discourse on GMO agripreneurship for global food security: bridging agricultural colonialism and food sovereignty perspectives

Purpose Despite a number of studies on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), very few of them reconcile debates between pro-GMO agripreneurs and anti-GMO activists for food security. This study aims to examine the role of GMO agripreneurship for global food security while also bridging contrasting perspectives on agricultural colonialism and food sovereignty. Design/methodology/approach The study applies critical discourse analysis (CDA) to analyse how GMO agripreneurship impacts the global food supply chain. The required primary data, including comparative cases from 10 countries on GMO adoption and rejection, were obtained from 45 articles and texts published between 2000 and 2024, following the five steps of CDA. The seven-dimensional CDA analytical framework was used to uncover the hidden socio-economic impacts of GMOs on marginalised communities and food security. Findings The study identifies five main findings of GMO agripreneurship. First, GMO agripreneurs, corporations and institutions in the Global North drive GMO adoption to enhance food security but face opposition owing to misinformation. Second, GMO agripreneurship creates economic dependency by monopolising seed production, forcing small farmers to buy patented seeds. Third, it undermines traditional farming by promoting mono-cultures, reducing biodiversity and harming ecosystems through the centralisation of GMO supply chains, which weakens food sovereignty and displaces farmers. Fourth, ethical, social and economic concerns arise, requiring community-led solutions. Finally, agroecological sovereignty is proposed as a balanced approach integrating local autonomy, sustainable trade and agroecology. Research limitations/implications This study merely focuses on synthesising existing research on GMO agripreneurship from a limited number of high-quality studies and does not provide empirical tests or region-specific insights into the trade-offs between agricultural colonialism and food sovereignty. Practical implications This study provides actionable insights for policymakers, practitioners and researchers by advocating for community-led agricultural models, supporting agroecological practices and rethinking intellectual property laws that perpetuate inequalities in the global food supply chain. Originality/value Unlike previous studies, this study advances the discourse on agricultural colonialism and food sovereignty by proposing agroecological sovereignty as a hybrid approach that balances decolonisation, local food autonomy, sustainable trade policies and agroecological innovations, offering a viable midpoint between agricultural colonialism and food sovereignty.