Food and Ethics for the People

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Food and Ethics for the People

• Darryl R.J. Macer and Minakshi Bhardwaj
• Institute of Biological Sciences, University of
  Tsukuba,
• Tsukuba Science City, 305, Japan
• Director, Eubios Ethics Institute
  lthttp//www.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/macer/index.htmlgt
• Director, International Union of Biological
  Sciences (IUBS) Bioethics Program

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Some reflections about food (1/2)

• Needed everyday.
• Safest to cook ourselves, but we also trust good
  restaurants.
• We generally trust that food that is sold in
  markets and supermarkets is safe.
• Food is becoming a nutrient delivery system, for
  a healthier life, e.g. vitamins, and magic
  bullets.
• We cannot comprehend the risks of food.

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Some reflections about food (2/2)

• Image of food differs from one place to another,
  and person to person.
• Culture and religion play an important role in
  determining food habits.
• Food diversity and quality is necessary for
  choice.
• Nature provides food for everybody.
• Availability of wholesome and reliable food is
  the ideal of any food production system.

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• Bioethics includes
• Medical Environmental
• Ethics Ethics
• Balancing ideals of
• Doing good / doing harm
• Individual autonomy / justice to all
• Long heritage seen in ...
• biology,medicine,society,religion..
• Anthropocentric, biocentric, ecocentric views

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Principles or ideals of bioethics

• Conventional language Alternative language
• Autonomy self-love
• Justice love of others
• Do no harm loving life
• Beneficence loving good
• Darryl Macer, Bioethics is Love of Life, Eubios
  Ethics Institute 1998.

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Ways to view bioethics Descriptive bioethics
is the way people view life, their moral
interactions and responsibilities with living
organisms in their life. Prescriptive
bioethics is to tell others what is ethically
good or bad, or what principles are most
important in making such decisions. It may also
be to say something or someone has rights, and
others have duties to them. Interactive
bioethics is discussion and debate between
people, groups within society, and communities
about descriptive and prescriptive bioethics.
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Holistic sense of safe food

• Food is safe if it does not has any adverse
  health affect on us. Wholesome nutritious food is
  important for long life and good health. This way
  of thinking is anthropocentric.
• Safe food equals a safe environment. Agriculture
  production systems should do no harm to the
  ecosystem, as parts of nature. This way of
  thinking is ecocentric.
• We should try to save each individual and the
  species for their own value in nature and
  contribution to genetic diversity. This way of
  thinking is biocentric.

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We all have a mixture of viewpoints

• In practice all of us sometimes view problems
  from an anthropocentric, biocentric or ecocentric
  viewpoint.
• For example, thinking that each species is
  important in its own value could be for providing
  choices to other organisms or human beings.
  Beyond the ethical principles above, like
  non-maleficence and beneficence, we may have
  concepts of harmonious coexistence and a respect
  for life and nature (love of life).
• While biocentrism will promote the lives of an
  individual, we should try to save each species
  for their contribution to genetic diversity of
  the ecosystem. This way of thinking is
  ecocentric.

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The imperative of love behind aid to developing
countries

• The ethical principle of loving good,
  beneficence, supports the use of science and
  technology to feed hungry people, and care for
  the sick.
• Respect for the ethical principle of self-love,
  autonomy, supports empowerment of people so they
  can grow food, and free of being perpetual
  recipients of aid.
• The ethical principle of loving life, do no harm,
  warns us to do technology assessment on all
  options, current and new, to provide the best
  alternative for the local, regional, and global
  situation now.
• The ethical principle of loving others, justice,
  makes us consider the risks for current future
  generations, and for all to share in the fruits
  of scientific endeavour.

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• UNESCO Universal Declaration on the Human Genome
  and Human Rights
• 12.a) Benefits from advances in biology, genetics
  and medicine, concerning the human genome, shall
  be made available to all, with due regard for the
  dignity and human rights of each individual.
• b) Freedom of research, which is necessary for
  the progress of knowledge, is part of freedom of
  thought. The applications of research, including
  applications in biology, genetics and medicine,
  concerning the human genome, shall seek to offer
  relief from suffering and improve the health of
  individuals and humankind as a whole.

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Key concerns expressed in opinion surveys over
biotechnology

• Education level is not a predictor
• Unknown health effects are fearful
• Long term risk to self and family
• Safety evaluation seen to be inadequate
• Lack of trust in closed process
• Lack of trust in scientific experts
• Few ecological concerns
• Drop in support over the 1990s
• Most people are open to accept GM food if it is
  nutritionally and economically beneficial.

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Who decides what is the appropriate form of aid?

• The local persons must consent to the process of
  aid in an informed manner, after proper
  assessment of the technology.
• Some coordination has advantages, but diversity
  should be encouraged.
• Conflicts of interest should be disclosed to
  those involved, and minimized.

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The anti-genetic engineering movement includes
many concerns

• This feeling is global, and mechanisms need to be
  developed for proper assessment of peoples
  concerns and the real risks.
• Some concerns can be answered by more scientific
  studies on environmental and health risks, but
  others relate to a general fear of technology,
  and rapid change.
• But, the use of living organisms will continue to
  be essential for human beings, as it always has
  been.
• We should maintain the existing biodiversity as
  well as appreciate variety for farms and cities.
• There is nothing special about keeping current
  agricultural practices that depend on chemical or
  organic pesticides to grow food. We need to
  balance the benefits and risks of all options.

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Perceptions about the appropriate regulatory body

• When asked to chose one body that you think is
  best placed to regulate modern biotechnology, in
  both New Zealand and Japan, over 60 of
  respondents chose a UN Organization, and only 10
  their own government!
• Therefore there is public support for an
  international regulatory system for genetic
  engineering. Currently, this involves especially
  WHO, FAO, Codex Alimentarius Commission, and UNEP
  (Cartegena Protocol). Because of global tradin,
  the WTO SPS agreements are also important.

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Cooperation between whom?

• International organizations and United Nations
• Regional agreements
• Private sector
• NGOs
• Educational and research institutes.
• We need to make the process more democratic, to
  have Bioethics for the people BY THE PEOPLE. So
  we need to include the informed participants in
  these interactions, including, consumers and
  producers. It is particularly here that Eubios
  Ethics Institute targets its attention.

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Role of Eubios Ethics Institute

• A nonprofit organisation focusing on a
  cross-cultural approach.
• Publication of Eubios Journal of Asian and
  International Bioethics (EJAIB), and a range of
  books on bioethics and biotechnology.
• Open and accurate information dissemination is
  one of the ideals to provide benefits to all in
  society. Eubios Ethics Institute fulfills this
  obligation by providing free information on
  internet to all.
• Promoting interactive bioethics, and research in
  bioethics, particularly in the Asian region, and
  contributing to the interchange of ideas within
  and between Asia and global international
  bioethics.
• EJAIB official journal of the Asian Bioethics
  Association (ABA) and the IUBS Bioethics Program.
  
• Eubios Declaration on International Bioethics.

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