- News from Scimex –
Researchers say the history of gene tech decision-making in NZ must be remembered if we’re to move forward.
They have laid out 50 years of New Zealand politics around genetic modification to identify common threads like the importance of dialogue between the public and scientists, and of partnership with Māori, who say they have been excluded from decision-making on genetic modification.
The researchers also highlight problems with decisions centred on the technical and economic aspects of genetic modification, saying opposition has been dismissed as being due to poor science knowledge instead of addressing underlying concerns around rights and responsibilities.
Dr Sylvia Nissen, Senior Lecturer, Department of Environmental Management, Lincoln University, and Bioprotection Aotearoa, has commented on the paper she co-authored:
“Genetic modification (GM) is again on political agendas. Announcing GM reforms in 2023, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon argued that New Zealand has been ‘stuck in a time warp’ with outdated regulation – yet the Gene Technology Bill stalled after coalition partner New Zealand First pulled its support,” she said.
“Our recently published research maps fifty years of political controversy over GM, drawing on a significant body of social science research. We offer this history as an open-access resource to better understand complex debates about the future of GM in Aotearoa.
“The article includes a timeline of events, spanning the early moratoriums and the growing activism of the 1990s. It includes the pivotal role of GM in the 1999 and 2002 elections, and the resulting 2001 Royal Commission on GM that recommended ‘going forward with care’. It traces successive legal challenges and local efforts to control GM, alongside growing momentum for change through the late 2010s that culminated in the Gene Technology Bill.
“Our work shows the importance of engaging with these past controversies to progress informed debate about GM. While GM technologies have changed significantly over fifty years, the critical questions shaping debate have not – especially, for what purposes might GM be used, who benefits, and who decides.”
The research paper can be read HERE.
Source: Scimex
