Reclaiming a baseline of accountability is the first step in building public confidence in regulatory systems that work for people as well as science that the public believes in.
The uncomfortable truth about GMOs and co-existence
A new report suggests that while plant breeders of all kinds support the idea of ‘working together’ – there are few practical or regulatory pathways for achieving ‘co-existence’
We need to talk about CRISPR
We need an active public debate on the ethics of gene editing technology to realise its potential and prevent it being used in nefarious ways.
Rewriting nature?
Synthetic biology – altering or redesigning genes to meet human objectives – is a fast-developing field. So far mostly applied in agriculture and medicine, synthetic biology could have substantial knock-on […]
Are GM food opponents stupid?
A new survey claims to show that GM food opponents are ignorant extremists. That’s how it’s being spun- with , arguably, too much enthusiasm – in the media but does the evidence for a dumb public with nothing to add to the GMO debate really stand up?
Do the USDA’s new ‘bioengineered’ labels cover up, rather than inform?
The new USDA label for genetically engineered foods has failed to make anyone – whatever their views or opinions about GE foods – happy. WHat’s more, that many foods (including many packaged foods) will be excluded from its purview.
Big business circles EU’s consumer protections
Corporate lobbyists argue that the innovation principle would boost innovations that could be used to tackle problems facing the planet such as decreasing the impact of animal feed on the planet, while civil society groups believe it leaves regulations vulnerable to corporate lobbyists and worry that it spells the end of the Precautionary Principle – which ensures only safe products reach the EU market.
Opinion: Science denialism is dangerous. But so is science imperialism.
In this struggle to ensure that science is not pushed out from its well-earned place in our polity by those with political or economic motivations to do so, is there a risk of coming on too strong?