scholarly journals On Appeals to Nature and their Use in the Public Controversy over Genetically Modified Organisms

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 409-437
Author(s):  
Andrei Moldovan
Keyword(s):  
Food Industry ◽  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Argumentation Theory ◽  
Linguistic Meaning ◽  
Semantic Externalism ◽  
Public Controversy ◽  
The Public

In this paper I discuss appeals to nature, a particular kind of argument that has received little attention in argumentation theory. After a quick review of the existing literature, I focus on the use of such arguments in the public controversy over the acceptabil-ity of genetically-modified organisms in the food industry. Those who reject this biotechnology invoke its unnatural character. Such arguments have re-ceived attention in bioethics, where they have been analyzed by distinguishing different meanings that “nature” and “natural” might have. I argue that in many such appeals to nature the main deficiency of these arguments is semantic, in particular, that these words cannot be assigned a determi-nate meaning at all. In doing so, I rely on semantic externalism, a widely accepted theory of linguistic meaning.

Farmers prevailing perception profiles regarding GM crops: A classification proposal

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 952-966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Almeida ◽  
Luisa Massarani
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Genetically Modified Crops ◽  
Stakeholder Group ◽  
Gm Crops ◽  
Genetically Modified Food ◽  
Public Controversy ◽  
Complex Variety

Genetically modified organisms have been at the centre of a major public controversy, involving different interests and actors. While much attention has been devoted to consumer views on genetically modified food, there have been few attempts to understand the perceptions of genetically modified technology among farmers. By investigating perceptions of genetically modified organisms among Brazilian farmers, we intend to contribute towards filling this gap and thereby add the views of this stakeholder group to the genetically modified debate. A comparative analysis of our data and data from other studies indicate there is a complex variety of views on genetically modified organisms among farmers. Despite this diversity, we found variations in such views occur within limited parameters, concerned principally with expectations or concrete experiences regarding the advantages of genetically modified crops, perceptions of risks associated with them, and ethical questions they raise. We then propose a classification of prevailing profiles to represent the spectrum of perceptions of genetically modified organisms among farmers.

scholarly journals Misinformation and disinformation in science: Examining the social diffusion of rumours about GMOs

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-340
Author(s):  
Sujia Jiang ◽  
Wei Fang
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
Genetic Modification ◽  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Considerable Controversy ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
The Government ◽  
And Diffusion

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have caused considerable controversy in China in recent years. Uncertainty about the technology, ineffective channels for releasing official information and a lack of sufficient public trust in the government and scientists have led to rampant rumours about genetic modification technology, making it hard for the public to acquire scientific knowledge about it and a rational attitude towards it. In this paper, by using as an example the rumour that genetically modified (GM) soybeans cause cancer, we discuss the content and diffusion of rumours related to genetic modification technology in the new media environment. Based on an analysis of content on the social media platform Weibo one week after the rumour began, we discovered that the ensuing cyber discussions reflected reality, that netizens expressed anxiety and panic while stressing social injustice and reflecting conflict between social classes, and that they exhibited little trust in scientists and the government. On the mechanism of diffusion of rumours on Weibo, we observed that ‘evidence’ that directly or indirectly purported to show that GM soybeans cause cancer was added to the rumours and that the rumours were ‘assimilated’ into people's perception through the stigmatization of GMOs and through conspiracy theories.

scholarly journals Research into Genetically Modified Organisms in New Zealand: An Examination of a Sociotechnical Controversy

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Sarah Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Genetic Modification ◽  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Research Practices ◽  
Public Controversy ◽  
The World ◽  
Future Risk

New Zealand is known around the world as a country that is clean, green and “100% Pure.” The existence of genetically modified organisms in New Zealand is generally viewed as inconsistent with this identity, and there is therefore considerable public controversy surrounding research that utilises genetic modification techniques. In this paper, I examine the variety of interacting factors that are serving to shape this controversy, the influence it is having on research practices, and the implications for future risk management policy.

scholarly journals Communicating the risks of genetically modified organisms: lessons learnt from an Irish field of cisgenic potatoes

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (15) ◽  
pp. 3699-3703
Author(s):  
Ewen Mullins
Keyword(s):  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Gm Crop ◽  
The Public ◽  
Lessons Learnt ◽  
Crop Research

Providing relatable context is key to communicating to the public the justification and outputs of GM crop research in a non-scientific manner so as to maximize societal comprehension.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document