Transgenic herbicide-resistant crops: A participatory technology assessment. Summary report

This report summarises a participatory technology assessment on transgenic herbicide-resistant crops organised by the Research Unit, Standard Setting and the Environment, at the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin, between 1991 and 1993. The technology assessment was a round table involving some fifty representatives from industry, environmental groups, regulatory agencies and science in more than ten days of controversial debate and analysis. The first part of this summary report describes the methodology used applied in analysing the deliberations of the technology assessment; the second part presents the empirical findings with respect to the performance, the risks and the benefits of transgenic herbicide-resistant crops; the third part gives an account of the ethical, legal and political discussions held in the technology assessment, as well as the recommendations for regulation advanced by the participants.