Published: 16-05-2019
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 […]
Uncertainty versus risk
Published: 15-02-2019
Uncertainties can make it hard to plan ahead. But recognising them can help to reveal new questions and choices. What kinds of uncertainty are there, why do they matter for sustainability, and what ideas, approaches and methods can help us to respond to them?
A need to put farmers back into the discussion
Published: 08-02-2019
Although not directly about genetic engineering in food and farming the article brings up pertinent themes about control of narrative, and therefore practice, regarding the use of antimicrobials in farming – and the need for a more inclusive conversation around the issues.
US academics feel the invisible hand of politicians and big agriculture
Published: 31-01-2019
As universities rely more on industry for funds, researchers taking a stand on health or environment say they’re sidelined. The Guardian newspaper delves into the influence that corporate money can have on academics and scientists, and therefore the accepted framing and narratives around global problems – and proposed solutions.
What care ethics can bring to the GMO conversation
How do we deal with the increasing polarisation in the GMO debate? Care ethics, a theme coming from ecofeminism, allows, according to the authors, to assess technologies “not simply as devices designed to create a certain end experience for a user, but as transformative systems that smuggle in numerous social and political interests”