Genetic Engineering and Ethical Issues

• Published in: Outlook on Agriculture 2003-12, Vol.32 (4), p.267-271
• Main Author: LARRERE, Raphaël
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Agrofood industry; Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Environment. Living conditions; Ethics; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic engineering; Genetic technics; Genetics; Genomics; Innovation; Meat and meat product industries; Medical sciences; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Policy studies; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Transgenic animals; Transgenic animals and transgenic plants
• ISSN: 0030-7270; 2043-6866
• DOI: 10.5367/000000003322740496

Genetic engineering is portrayed as a major scientific and technological revolution, which is what makes it legitimate in the eyes of its supporters. But this is also why some fear it as a dangerous and unnatural interference in living processes. Closer scrutiny of the scientific controversies and debate on the subject of plant GMOs (in which there is most experience) reveals that genetic engineering is sophisticated but nonetheless tinkering with uncertain results, and that, far from unnaturally meddling with life, it actually has to do with controlling (albeit inefficiently) natural processes. According to the backers of GMOs, the ‘irrational’ fears of the public in Europe stand in the way of progress. The reason the public are so scared of consuming GMOs is supposed to be because they do not understand what they are all about. Closer enquiry shows that they are not so much worried about GMOs, as about the inability of the authorities in charge of monitoring this new technology to resist the powerful interests of multinational corporations. Public hostility towards GMOs is more the product of reasoned scepticism than of irrational fear.