With great power comes great responsibility: why ‘safe enough’ is not good enough in debates on new gene technologies
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https://hdl.handle.net/10037/27426Date
2022-10-25Type
Journal articleTidsskriftartikkel
Peer reviewed
Abstract
New genomic techniques (NGTs) are powerful technologies with the potential to change how we relate to our food, food
producers, and natural environment. Their use may afect the practices and values our societies are built on. Like many
countries, the EU is currently revisiting its GMO legislation to accommodate the emergence of NGTs. We argue that
assessing such technologies according to whether they are ‘safe enough’ will not create the public trust necessary for societal
acceptance. To avoid past mistakes of under- or miscommunication about possible impacts, we need open, transparent,
and inclusive societal debate on the nature of the science of gene (editing) technologies, on how to use them, and whether
they contribute to sustainable solutions to societal and environmental challenges. To be trustworthy, GMO regulation must
demonstrate the authorities’ ability to manage the scientifc, socio-economic, environmental, and ethical complexities and
uncertainties associated with NGTs. Regulators and authorities should give equal attention to the refexive and the emotional
aspects of trust and make room for honest public and stakeholder inclusion processes. The European Group of Ethics in
Science and Technology’s recent report on the Ethics of Genome Editing (2021) is important in calling attention to a series
of fundamental issues that ought to be included in debates on the regulation and use of NGTs to ensure public trust in these
technologies and in regulating authorities. With the great power of NGTs comes great responsibility, and the way forward
must be grounded in responsible research, innovation, and regulation.
Publisher
SpringerCitation
Kjeldaas, Dassler, Antonsen, Wikmark, Myhr. With great power comes great responsibility: why ‘safe enough’ is not good enough in debates on new gene technologies. Agriculture and Human Values. 2022Metadata
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