Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Women in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Biotechnology pp 85–96Cite as

Trails and Trials in Biotechnology Policy

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

  • 553 Accesses

Part of the book series: Women in Engineering and Science ((WES))

Abstract

In this chapter, I reflect on my transition from natural science work in biochemistry and biotechnology to becoming a professor in the social and policy sciences. I discuss how I’ve viewed biotechnology policy from standpoints of ethics and philosophy, biochemistry and molecular biology, risk analysis, science and technology policy, and the social sciences. The “trails” of each period of this career have informed my recent work on the policy “trials” or controversies surrounding governance of emerging technologies, including agricultural biotechnology. At this critical juncture of enormous advances in biotechnology (e.g. synthetic biology, gene editing, and gene drives), I end the chapter with a plea for each of us to recognize our own biases and respect the viewpoints of others. I hope to see the current biotechnology revolution shaped by many different viewpoints, so it is done in the best interest of all of society. Only then will we be able to move past the inflamed and divisive rhetoric and enable safe, responsible, socially-desirable and appropriate use of genetic engineering.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bardocz S, Clark A, Ewen S, Hansen M et al (2012) Seralini and science: an open letter.’ Independent Science News [Online], 2 October. http://independentsciencenews.org/health/seralini-and-science-nk603-rat-studyroundup/

  • Bøhn T, Cuhra M, Traavik T, Sanden M, Fagan J, Primicerio R (2014) Compositional differences in soybeans on the market: Glyphosate accumulates in Roundup Ready GM soybeans. Food Chem 153:207–215

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carman JA, Vlieger HR, Ver Steeg LJ, Sneller VE, Robinson GW, Clinch-Jones CA, Edwards JW et al (2013) A long-term toxicology study on pigs fed a combined genetically modified (GM) soy and GM maize diet. J Org Syst 8(1):38–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Domingo JL (2016) Safety assessment of GM plants: an updated review of the scientific literature. Food Chem Toxicol 95:12–18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Domingo JL, Bordonaba JG (2011) A literature review on the safety assessment of genetically modified plants. Environ Int 37(4):734–742

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dona A, Arvanitoyannis IS (2009) Health risks of genetically modified foods. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 49(2):164–175

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ebel E, Schlosser W, Kause J, Orloski K, Roberts T, Narrod C, Powell M et al (2004) Draft risk assessment of the public health impact of Escherichia coli O157: H7 in ground beef. J Food Prot 67(9):1991–1999

    Google Scholar 

  • EPA (1994, 2001) Environmental Protection Agency. Regulations under the Federal Fungicide, Insecticide, and Rodenticide Act for plant-incorporated protectants. Fed Reg 66:37855–37869

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2016) United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization. Agriculture and Food Security. http://www.fao.org/docrep/x0262e/x0262e05.htm. Accessed 14 July 2016

  • Glöckner G, Séralini GE (2016) Pathology reports on the first cows fed with Bt176 maize (1997–2002). Sch J Agric Sci 6:1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Gu J, Bakke AM, Valen EC, Lein I, Krogdahl Å (2014) Bt-maize (MON810) and non-GM soybean meal in diets for Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) juveniles-impact on survival, growth performance, development, digestive function, and transcriptional expression of intestinal immune and stress responses. PLoS ONE 9(6):e99932

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hilbeck A, Binimelis R, Defarge N, Steinbrecher R, Székács A, Wickson F, Novotny E et al (2015) No scientific consensus on GMO safety. Environ Sci Eur 27(1):1

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahan DM (2012) Cultural cognition as a conception of the cultural theory of risk. Handbook of risk theory. Springer, New York, pp 725–759

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahan DM, Braman D, Gastil J, Slovic P, Mertz C (2007) Culture and identity-protective cognition: explaining the white-male effect in risk perception. J Empirical Legal Stud 4(3):465–505

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuzma J (2013) Properly paced? Examining the past and present governance of GMOs in the United States. In: Marchant GE, Abbott KW, Allenby B (eds), Innovative governance models for emerging technologies, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK, pp 176–197

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuzma J (2016a) Reboot the debate on genetic engineering. Nature 531:165–167

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuzma J (2016b) Risk, Environmental governance, and emerging biotechnology. In: Durant R, Fiorino DJ, O’Leary R (eds) Environmental governance reconsidered: challenges, choices, and opportunities, 2nd edn. MIT Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuzma J, Besley JC (2008) Ethics of risk analysis and regulatory review: from bio- to nanotechnology. Nanoethics 2(2):149–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuzma J, Rawls L (2016) Engineering the wild: gene drives and intergenerational equity. Jurimetrics J Law Sci Technol 56(3):279–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuzma J, Najmaie P, Larson J (2009) Evaluating oversight systems for emerging technologies: a case study of genetically engineered organisms. J Law Med Ethics 37(4):546–586

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leiss W, Powell D (1997) Mad cows and mothers milk. McGill–Queen’s Press, Montreal

    Google Scholar 

  • Loening UE (2015) A challenge to scientific integrity: a critique of the critics of the GMO rat study conducted by Gilles-Eric Séralini et al. (2012). Environ Sci Eur 27(1):1

    Google Scholar 

  • Losey J, Raynor L, Carter M (1999) Transgenic pollen harm monarch larvae. Nature 399:214

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lurquin PF (2016) Production of a toxic metabolite in 2, 4-D-resistant GM crop plants. 3 Biotech 6(1):1–4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer H, Hilbeck A (2013) Rat feeding studies with genetically modified maize—a comparative evaluation of applied methods and risk assessment standards. Environ Sci Europe 25:1–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NAS (1987) National Academy of Science. introduction of recombinant DNA-engineered organisms into the environment: key issues. National Academy Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • NASEM (2016) National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. Genetically engineered crops: experiences and prospects. National Academy Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • NRC (2000) National Research Council, genetically modified pest-protected plants: science and regulation. National Academy Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Office of Science and Technology Policy (1986) Coordinated framework for the regulation of biotechnology. Fed Reg 51(123):23302–23350

    Google Scholar 

  • USDA (1993) US Department of Agriculture, genetically engineered organisms and products: notification procedures for the introduction of certain regulated articles and petition for nonregulated status. Fed Reg 58(60):17044–17059

    Google Scholar 

  • USDA (1997) Introduction of organisms and products altered or produced through genetic engineering which are plant pests or which there is reason to believe are plant pests, 7 C.F.R. § 340

    Google Scholar 

  • Vecchio L, Cisterna B, Malatesta M, Martin TE, Biggiogera M (2009) Ultrastructural analysis of testes from mice fed on genetically modified soybean. Eur J Histochem 48(4):449–454

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public and International Affairs, Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA

    Jennifer Kuzma

Authors
  1. Jennifer Kuzma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jennifer Kuzma .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Bayer CropScience , Morrisville, North Carolina, USA

    Laura S. Privalle

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Kuzma, J. (2017). Trails and Trials in Biotechnology Policy. In: Privalle, L. (eds) Women in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Biotechnology . Women in Engineering and Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52201-2_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52201-2_6

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-52200-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-52201-2

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation