Green genetic engineering in conflict – Model for a participative technology impact assessment based on the example of herbicide-resistant plants

Topic

The aim of the project was to apply a participative technology impact assessment (TIA) model to the use of genetically modified herbicide-resistant plants for the first time. Opportunities and risks of so-called green genetic engineering were discussed with advocates and opponents and assessed.

Herbicide resistance was chosen as a research topic because it was one of the first projects for the application of genetic engineering in plant breeding.

Genetically modified herbicide-resistant plants open up new options for chemical weed control. They extend the application scope of non-selective herbicides, which farmers have not been able to use previously because they attack crop plants as well. The prospects of this technology have sparked off controversial public discussions.

Aspects of the cultivation of genetically modified herbicide-resistant plants were discussed with representatives of different interest groups as part of a technology impact assessment method. Following a strictly methodical process (discourse) expert opinions and the associated scientific comments on important aspects of the cultivation were discussed with all involved and assessed, and joint conclusions were formulated.

The environmental groups withdrew from the TIA process just before the final conference. They did not support the conclusions presented at this conference.

Experiment description

The TIA process commissioned a total of 18 expert opinions, two critical reviews and 18 comments on the problem areas of herbicide resistance technology. The TIA process was organised as a participative and discursive process. Around 60 people were involved from academia, industry, official bodies and environmental groups, and they assessed and discussed the expert opinions in a series of conferences.

The process was not designed to be a forum for experts, but rather an arena for socio-political discussion.

Results

The aim was to analyse and assess as comprehensively as possible within the TIA process the risks and benefits associated with cultivation of genetically modified plants. A total of 18 expert opinions were produced on the following topics:

• Possible risks of transgenic plants (four expert opinions, three comments, one critical review)

• Toxicological and ecological impacts of the use of non-selective (complementary) herbicides (five expert opinions, five comments)

• The future of genetic resources (one expert opinion, one comment)

• Agricultural technology advantages and disadvantages (two expert opinions, two comments)

• Alternatives to herbicide resistance technology (one expert opinion, one comment)

• Economic and agricultural policy aspects (one expert opinion, one comment)

• Long-term world food security (one expert opinion, one critical review)

• Political, moral and legal assessment (two expert opinions, two comments).

A summary of the expert opinions including the arguments for and against for individual subject areas was published in a final report.