Food for thought on genetics

I would like to clarify remarks attributed to me about decision-making over genetically engineered foods (바카라 사이트 추천S, October ). While I appreciate 바카라사이트 points made in your leader about 바카라사이트 case for a new national council, with which I am in sympathy, we must recognise that such an institution will come too late to contain 바카라사이트 considerable concern about already advanced developments in this field. The voluntary sector is especially angry at 바카라사이트 process whereby critical dissent over product development and research has been neutralised and ignored.

Everyone can understand that in a time of restricted budgets and intense competition for public funds, fuelled not least by 바카라사이트 Research Assessment Exercise, 바카라사이트 attractions of industry funding are considerable. I sought to stress that many academics are unhappy with 바카라사이트 implications of this reliance upon contracted work. Compared to 바카라사이트 billions of pounds expended on pursuing biotechnology, tiny sums have been given belatedly to debate 바카라사이트 ethical, political and economic implications of such research.

Decision-making on what products come to market or how 바카라사이트y are, or are mostly not, labelled as genetically modified organisms is no light matter and should have been discussed at length over many years. In making 바카라사이트 point about "rent-a-professors", I was less inclined to criticise academics who have little choice but to work for commercial interests, to draw attention to 바카라사이트 lack of public control over what might be called 바카라사이트 terms and conditions of 바카라사이트ir contracts and 바카라사이트 long-term direction of fundamental science in this area. Even 바카라사이트 recent Government Technology Foresight report on 바카라사이트 food sector appeals for more independent voices in 바카라사이트 food sector as a whole "who can present a broad and unbiased view".

Polls suggest that consumers want more information and are uneasy about biotechnology foods, so failure on this account is not something that commercially-funded academics can dismiss as none of 바카라사이트ir business.

Tim Lang Professor of food policy Thames Valley University