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GM
DIALOGUE: THE THREE STRANDS
The context
Government 1 announced in
May 2002 that there should be a national dialogue on genetic modification
(GM) issues.
As stated at the start of the review:
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GM techniques have opened up a wide range of possibilities,
including GM crops. Each of these "GM possibilities"
is characterised by:
- considerable public interest and concern;
- long-term opportunities, risks and uncertainties;
- complex science;
- international regulatory frameworks.
Government has a number of responsibilities to fulfil and
decisions to make with respect to these "GM possibilities"
against a background which includes:
- existing public attitudes to GM, to the potential impacts
of GM and to the institutions involved in promoting and
regulating GM technology;
- the ethical, social and environmental implications of
GM;
- scientific evidence on the impacts of GM;
- economic analysis of the costs and benefits associated
with GM applications;
- the wider international context, including the legal and
regulatory framework at the EU and international level.
The overall GM dialogue should enable an assessment and discussion
of each of these areas, and should help to further understanding
of these and other issues amongst the public, experts and
other stakeholders, and Government. The dialogue should be
credible to participants in it and to these different audiences.
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The strands
The national dialogue announced by Government has had three main
strands: a public debate, this review of the science around GM,
and an economics study.
The public debate was designed to be an innovative, effective
and deliberative programme, with the issues for debate framed by
the public, conducted at arm's length from Government by an independent
steering board. The steering board reported to Government on 24
September 2003 on what the debate indicated about public views.
[Click here for the public
debate website.]
The economics study was an analysis of the nature and distribution
of costs and benefits that could arise under different scenarios
for the commercialisation of GM crops in the UK. The Prime Minister's
Strategy Unit carried out this study, which was published on 11
July 2003. [Click here for the economics
study website]
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been supporting a range of
innovative events and activities to independently assess consumer
views on the acceptability of GM foods and how that relates to consumer
choice. Activities have included surveys on the attitudes to GM
foods of young people and people on low incomes to ensure that their
views are fully represented in the debate; and a citizen's jury
broadcast live on the Internet. The results of these activities
are described in the FSA report 'Consumer Views of GM Food', available
via the GM pages of the FSA
website. The FSA Board has considered the results of these activities
and on 17 July the report was submitted to the Secretary of State
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
1 "Government" means the UK Government,
the Scottish Executive, the National Assembly for Wales and the administration
in Northern Ireland. |
