Page 45 - Standard Indicators for the social appropriation of science
P. 45
Certainly. This is true and there are many These labs need to have special permissions
examples. Just think of the varieties of wheat depending on whether they are working with
that have been obtained by crossing different animals, plants or microorganisms. In the
types of grains. We must also consider a new case of the EU, there are many directives that
factor: the new CRISPR technique makes what member states have to comply with in order to
is produced “artificially” indistinguishable from work with these materials.
what can also happen in nature since it allows
DNA to be modified in a very precise way. An How can science advance without
additional problem because it will be difficult exceeding ethical limits?
to understand whether the mutation occurred
naturally or not. Nothing is impossible with a great deal of
information. Information about the processes,
GMOs promised to reduce the use of information about the dangers. Only a well-
fertilisers or pesticides. Instead, it seems informed population can control scientists. This
to have increased. is because scientists do not work alone, they are
This is certainly true. The reduction of fertilisers dependent on funds to continue their studies,
and pesticides was a promise that was not and those funds come from governments that
kept. Studies conducted in the United States are elected by the people.
confirm that more fertilisers and pesticides are
used in GM crops than in traditional crops. Behind GMOs there are many years of research
Policy and ethics related and those that are approved are those that
had advantages and could not be proved to be
harmful.
Is European legislation on GMOs based on
science? From an ethical point of view, GMOs in general
are not good or bad, that is case by case
In Europe, public opinion has a big impact on scenario. It is a different situation to talk about
legislation. For example, producers have to a genetically modified bacteria or to talk about
declare in labels if the product contains over a genetically modified mosquito.
0.9% of GMOs. There is no reason to establish
the minimum on 0.9%, yet the fact that the However, if some GMOs are passed on to
“warning” is there may lead people to think the environment, there is a risk of increasing
there are problems with GMOs. resistance to antibiotics. But this risk is unlikely.
The great danger is the passage not of the
What rules are there and what conditions whole organism, but of the piece of DNA that
are necessary for a scientist or a laboratory can be transmitted. For example: bees can
to work with this material? carry the pollen of a transformed plant. If this
Two different situations must be distinguished: pollen pollinates a wild plant nearby there is the
• The use of GMOs to be consumed as danger of this gene passing to the environment.
food, even animal food. In Europe genetic modification in
• GMOs that are produced for research humans is forbidden. And in order for any
purposes only. genetically modified crop to be accepted,
A lot of research is dependent on genetically it is necessary to go through a very detailed
modified organisms and to work with them, process. If approval is granted, it is valid
laboratories need to fulfil special conditions. for 10 years only. After this period, it is
45
Persist_EU
