The Use of GM Crops in Developing Countries
Appendix 4: Methods of Working
In October 2002, the Council decided to follow up its 1999 Report Genetically modified crops: ethical and social issues. Three former members of the Working Party that produced this Report, and one member of the Council were convened to form a small Working Group. The Group met eight times between December 2002 and August 2003. A first draft of the draft Discussion Paper was sent to nine peer reviewers. As part of its work, the Working Group held four fact-finding sessions with experts in a number of fields. The Working Group also held a consultation with the public. This took the form of inviting comments on a draft version of the Discussion Paper. Details about the consultation exercise are at Appendix 5.
Ms Kate Miller prepared a background research paper for the Working Group while working as an intern at the Nuffield Council on Bioethics from the 7 – 24 January 2003.
Fact-finding meetings
The Working Group is very grateful to the following individuals for providing valuable insights into issues relating to the use of genetically modified crops in developing countries.1
21 March 2003, London
Mr Alex Wijeratna
Food Rights Campaign Coordinator, ActionAid, UK
Dr Richard Tapper Advisor, UK Food Group, ITDG (Intermediate Technology Development Group)
Professor Ingo Potrykus
Professor Emeritus, Institute of Plant Science, ETH Zuerich
15 April 2003, London
Professor Julian Kinderlerer
Professor of Law, University of Sheffield, UK
17 April 2003, London
Dr Andrew Bennett
Executive Director, Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, Basel
9 May 2003, London
Professor Gordon Conway
President, The Rockefeller Foundation, USA
Peer reviewers
The Working Group is also very grateful for the following individuals for providing very helpful comments on an earlier draft of this Discussion Paper:2
Dr Andrew Cockburn. Director of Scientific Affairs, Europe and Africa, Monsanto UK Ltd
Dr Joseph DeVries. Associate Director of Food and Security, The Rockefeller Foundation, Kenya
Dr Geoffrey Hawtin. Director General, International Plant Genetics Resource Institute, Rome
Dr Luis R. Herrera Estrella. Director, Plant Biotechnology Unit Centro de Investigacion y Estudios, Mexico
Mr Antonio Hill. Policy Advisor, Environment and Sustainable Livelihoods, Oxfam, Colombia Professor John O’Neill. Institute for Environment, Philosophy and Public Policy, Lancaster University, UK
Professor Robert Paarlberg. Professor of Political Science, Wellesley College, USA
Professor Jules Pretty. Director of the Centre for Environment and Society, University of Essex, UK
Dr Ana Sittenfeld. Associate Professor, Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular (CIBCM), Universidad de Costa Rica