The United States Biotechnology Policy: A Dossier

Journal Articles

Disclaimer: The materials in this section are from sources outside the U.S. Government and should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein or as official U.S. policy.

Furger, Franco; Fukuyama, Francis. A PROPOSAL FOR MODERINZING THE REGULATION OF HUMAN BIOTECHNOLOGIES. The Hastings Center Report, July/August 2007. pp. 16-22. Full text available via ProQuest

A recent and thorough review of the medical literature on this subject, conducted on behalf the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, found essentially no reason for concern, but the study has never been published-only brief summaries of its main findings have been offerered for public scrutiny. Regulatory agencies from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Department of Energy and the Occupation, Safety and Health Administration have a long history of producing regulatory decisions driven by the most influential interest groups, to the detriment of the public at large. Francis Fukuyama is Bernard L. Schwartz Professor of International Political Economy at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University. Franco Furger is president of Politiken: Technologie-Beratung, a consulting firm in Lucerne, Switzerland, specializing in science and technology policy
 

Zurek, Laylah.  THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES BIOTECH DISPUTE: HOW THE WTO FAILS TO CONSIDER CULTURAL FACTORS IN THE GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD DEBATE. Texas International Law Journal, Spring 2007. pp. 345-349. Full text available via ProQuest

In 2003, the United States, joined by Canada and Argentina (the Complaining Parties), brought a claim to the World Trade Organization (WTO) that the European Communities' (EC) strict regulation of genetically modified (GM) foods violated trade obligations.2 In 2006, the WTO dispute settlement body agreed with the Complaining Parties that the EC had not adequately justified its restrictions on genetically modified foods.1 However, unlike many international matters before the WTO,4 decisions about food and food choice cannot easily be resolved, and it is likely that this dispute will not end with this decision.5 Food has complex social and cultural meanings integral to the way legal decisions about food are made and enforced.

López, José Julián; Robertson, Ann. ETHICS OR POLITICS? THE EMERGENCE OF ELSI DISCOURSE IN CANADA. The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, May 2007. pp. 201-218. Full text available via ProQuest

This paper develops the Foucauldian conceptual framework of discursive formation to discuss the emergence of the Canadian ELSI (Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of genetics and genomics) agenda. It explores the wider discursive ecology which has made possible the positioning of ELSI expertise as a legitimate modality for the governance of biotechnology. The paper critically evaluates the extent to which ELSI provides opportunities for Canadian society to participate in the governance of scientific knowledges by analyzing how "Canadians" are "included" in the activities of the Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee (CBAC). It concludes by highlighting some of the problems associated with the eclipse of politics by ethics. José Julián López works at the University of Ottawa, Ann Robertson works at the University of Toronto.

Griesse, Margaret Ann. DEVELOPING SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: BIOTECHNOLOGY AND THE CASE OF DUPONT IN BRAZIL. Journal of Business Ethics, June 2007. pp. 103-118. Full text available via ProQuest

The development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has caused worldwide debate and has required us to reevaluate theories of social responsibility. This article, first, briefly discusses the progressive stages of social responsibility that scholars have outlined as they examine the history of businesses. Next an overview of the development of the DuPont corporation in the United States is presented, tracing DuPont's transformation from an explosives and chemicals company into a life-science corporation and demonstrating how outside factors influenced this change. The article then turns to the activities of the DuPont corporation in Brazil, a country with one of the world's largest agricultural economies - and examines how the debate on GMOs is unfolding within the Brazilian context. It discusses how differing interest groups have taken part in this debate, the limits of their arguments, and the need to develop means for providing open collaborative efforts in evaluating new technologies. Margaret Griesse holds a Ph.D. in Education and International Development from the University of Frankfurt.
 

Costa-Font, Joan; Mossialos, Elias; Costa-Font, Montserrat. ERRING ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION? THE HETEROGENEITY OF PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION. Journal of Economic Issues. September 2006. pp. 767-777. Full text available via ProQuest

This paper explores how public perceptions constrain the risk regulation of biotechnology in the European Union (EU). Joan Costa-Font is Research Fellow in the London School of Economics and Political Science. Bias Mossiolos is Professor of Health Policy In the London School of Economics, and Monacrrat Costa-font is Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Environmental Economics at the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya.

Macklin, Ruth. THE NEW CONSERVATIVES IN BIOETHICS: WHO ARE THEY AND WHAT DO THEY SEEK? The Hastings Center Report. January/February 2006. pp. 34-44. Full text available via ProQuest

A new political movement has arisen in bioethics, self-consciously distinguished from the rest of the field and characterized by a new way of writing and arguing. Unfortunately, that new method is mean-spirited, mystical, and emotional. It claims insight into ultimate truth yet disavows reason. Macklin discusses the new conservative movement in bioethics and seeks to identify who the conservatives are and what characterizes their position. Ruth Macklin is professor of bioethics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Miller, Henry; Conko, Gregory. SCARY FOOD. Policy Review, June/July 2006. pp. 61-69. Full text available from publisher website

Scientists agree that gene-spliced crops and foods are not only better for the natural environment than conventionally produced food crops, but also safer for consumers. Several varieties now on the market have been modified to resist insect predation and plant diseases, which makes the harvested crop much cleaner and safer. Ironically, in their eagerness to avoid biotechnology, some major food companies may knowingly be making their products less safe and wholesome for consumers, which places them in richly deserved legal jeopardy. Henry I. Miller, is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, Gregory Conko is director of food safety policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

Morris, Shane. EU BIOTECH CROP REGULATIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISK: A CASE OF THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES? Trends in Biotechnology, January 2007. pp 2-6 Full text available from publisher website

European Union Commissioner for the Environment Stavros Dimas recently hailed ‘upgraded’ non-genetically modified (GM) crops as an alternative to GM crops. A comparative analysis of the environmental risks associated with such non-GM herbicide-resistant crops and GM herbicide-resistant crops is presented here. Shane Morris works for Agri-food Canada.