Gene Editing in Agriculture and Food:
Social Concerns, Public Engagement, and Governance
October 20 & 21, 2020
11:00-3:00 pm USA Central Time*
Purpose: Understanding public concerns, values, and trust issues regarding gene editing in agriculture and food is a prerequisite to developing socially responsive policies, regulations, and private governance. This conference presented research and insights from social scientists and other scholars regarding social concerns and public engagement on gene editing in agriculture and food. It explored the interrelationship of governance and engagement, identifying key considerations, responsibilities and opportunities.
About: This meeting was organized by Iowa State University with assistance from the State University of New York College of Environment Science and Forestry and the Keystone Policy Center. It was made possible through funding by United States Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Format: Conference sessions comprised 10-minute lightning talk presentations followed by panel discussions and audience Q/A. Sessions were complemented by small group discussions and networking opportunities.
Outputs: The presenters and GEF Project team will publish a policy perspective piece based on key findings from the conference. A series of academic research articles are also being prepared for a special issue journal. Please stay tuned for more details.
Presentation Videos
Conference Overview
Parag Chitnis
Opening Remarks
Carmen Bain
Welcome
Session 1: Governance, Regulation, and Policy Pathways
Jennifer Kuzma
Unpacking and Evaluating Regulatory Policy Pathways for Gene-edited Agricultural Products (extended version)
Ruth Mampuys
The Role and Limitations of Technocratic, Deliberative, and Regulatory Approaches in Biotechnology Governance
Milind Kandlikar
What Triggers Regulation of Gene-edited Crops? A Cross-National Assessment
Session 2: Framing Risks and Benefits
Naoko Kato-Nitta
The Effects of Information on Consumer Attitudes Toward Gene-edited Foods: A Comparison Between Livestock and Vegetables
Paul B. Thompson
Non-Safety Dimensions of Gene Editing: How Philosophers Could Help
Kevin Pixley
How We Decide Who Benefits from the Potential Contributions of Genome Edited Crops?
Robert Chiles & Lina Tami-Barrera
Policy and Ethical Implications of Gene-editing for Livestock, Plant-based Proteins, and Cell-based Foods
Session 3: Public Engagement and Trust
Dominique Brossard
Societal Debates About Emerging Genetic Technologies: Toward a Science of Public Engagement
Carmen Bain
Closing the Trust Deficit for Gene Editing in Agriculture
Michael Dahlstrom
The Media’s Taste for Gene-edited Food
Session 4: Concerns, Values, and Control
Maui Hudson
Māori Perspectives on Gene Editing
Greg Graff
Intellectual Property as a Governance Mechanism for Genome Editing in Agriculture and Food
Presenters
Click on presentation titles for abstracts, bios, and social media links.
Carmen Bain
Associate Dean and Professor, Department of Sociology
Iowa State University (USA)
“Closing the Trust Deficit for Gene Editing in Agriculture”
Robert Chiles
Assistant Professor and Research Associate, Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education
Pennsylvania State University (USA)
“Same Difference? The Ethics of Gene-editing for Conventional, Plant-based, and Cell-based Meat Products”
Māui Hudson
Associate Professor & Senior Research Fellow, Māori and Indigenous Studies
University of Waikato (New Zealand)
“Māori Perspectives on Gene Editing”
Gregory Graff
Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Colorado State University (USA)
“Intellectual Property as a Governance Mechanism for Genome Editing in Agriculture and Food”
Naoko Kato-Nitta
Assistant Professor, Department of Statistical Data Science, The Institute of Statistical Mathematics (Japan)
“The Effects of Information on Consumer Attitudes Toward Gene-edited Foods: A Comparison Between Livestock and Vegetables”
Milind Kandlikar
Director and Professor, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability and Professor, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
The University of British Columbia (Canada)
“What Triggers Regulation of Gene-Edited Crops? A Cross-National Assessment”
Jennifer Kuzma
Professor and Director of Genetic Engineering and Society Center (GESC)
North Carolina State University (USA)
“Unpacking and Evaluating Regulatory Policy Pathways for Gene-edited Agricultural Products”
Ruth Mampuys
PhD candidate and Coordinator on Ethics and Societal Aspects
The Netherlands Commission on Genetic Modification (COGEM, The Netherlands)
“The Role and Limitations of Technocratic, Deliberative and Regulatory Approaches in Biotechnology Governance”
Sara Nawaz
PhD Candidate, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability
University of British Columbia (Canada)
“New Products, Old Logics? A Q Method Study on Public Perceptions of Gene Editing and Gene Drives for Agriculture”
Kevin Pixley
Genetic Resources Program Director
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center – CIMMYT (Mexico)
“How We Decide Who Benefits from the Potential Contributions of Genome Edited Crops”
David Resnik
Bioethicist
National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (USA)
“Unresolved Issues in Public and Community Engagement for the Release of Genetically Modified Organisms into the Environment”
Paul B. Thompson
Professor and Chair, Department of Philosophy
Michigan State University (USA)
“Non-Safety Dimensions of Gene Editing: How Philosophers Could Help”
Dominique Brossard
Professor & Chair, Department of Life Sciences Communication
University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA)
“Societal Debates About Emerging Genetic Technologies: Toward a Science of Public Engagement”
Michael Dahlstrom
LAS Dean’s Professor and Director, Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication
Iowa State University (USA)
“The Media’s Taste for Gene Edited Foods”
Adrian Ely
Reader in Technology and Sustainability (SPRU – Science Policy Research Unit)
University of Sussex (United Kingdom)
“What Can Past Dynamics of Agbiotech Regulation Teach Us about Trans-Atlantic Divergences in Genome Editing?”