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Contributions from
the Column
Books and Media
Europe’s future role in the international order
Rules of thumb: sound case studies
Trade theory: for export, not for consumption
Genetics-discourse:
plenty of contributions – even more readers
Documents:the „resource curse“
8-9/2004
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Genetics-discourse:
plenty of contributions – even more readers
Approximately 130 participants from universities, non-government organisations and churches, as well as a large number of private persons took part in the recent online-discourse on “Green gene technology and food safety in developing countries”. More than 200 contributions were made – many of them with substantial back-up analysis. If printed out as a hard copy the discourse would fill a book of 250 pages. The internet conference ran for three weeks in June and was directed at people actively involved in development policy and biotechnology. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation (BMZ) and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) as initiators, wanted to find out how the technical community rates the opportunities and potentials of such technology, but also its risks.
Green gene technology continues to be a controversial subject in Germany. Up to now there has been relatively little discussion of any contribution it could make towards eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, and thus to achieving the Development Millennium Goals. The online discourse was instigated by the Dialogue Forum of the German government’s Action Programme 2015. In three different forums participants discussed the prospects, risks and the global political framework of green gene technology.
Despite the sometimes heated discussion, in the end there were important areas of agreement. Most participants tended to be critical of gene technology, and did not see it as a key to solving the hunger problems in the developing countries. Increased production of food alone could not erase the problem of hunger. There was extensive debate on whether farmers should be free to make their own decisions regarding the use of green gene technology.
The general consensus of opinion was that the technology cannot in fact be stopped. The question remains, however, how the community can best utilise the technology to help the poor, and what control mechanisms need to be put in place to avoid any negative effects. Another hot topic of discussion was the use of BT-cotton in India. Here too, feelings were mixed on the technology, the argument culminating in the question of whether (poor) farmers can really benefit from using gene technology.
Unregistered internet users could also read the contributions. The large number of hits has led the organisers to assume that many people were interested in the outcome of the discourse. Where to from here? The processed results will be made available to the members of the Dialogue Forum 2015, to institutions and political decision-makers. The final report and all contributions to the Forums can be accessed on http://www.aktionsprogramm2015.de/onlinediskurs
Christina & Ludger Benighaus
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