James F. Evans Collection, Research directors at American land-grant universities are optimistic regarding the future of agricultural biotechnology and expect the ongoing "biotechnology revolution" to benefit the public, including consumers and farmers. Unresolved public policy questions involving biotechnology do concern many of the research administrators who responded to an opinion poll, but the prevailing attitude appears to be on of confident expectation that solutions will in time emerge for all outstanding biotech problems. Asked about "biotechnology's ethical questions," a majority of the respondents that U.S. land-grant institutions are well equipped to deal with such questions. The respondents said biotechnology may pose environmental risks, but they did not expect biological catastrophes to occur. They said biotechnology could be used to foster low-input methods of agricultural production, and they were in favor of pursuing biotech research that might improve agriculture's sustainability. (original)
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C36383
Notes:
136 pages., Report of the Committee on Education on Dual Use Issues in the Life Sciences, Board on Life Sciences, Division on Earth and Life Studies, National Research Council of the National Academies in cooperation with IAP: The Global Network of Science Academies, International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, International Union of Microbiological Studies and Polish Academy of Sciences. Documents needs, gaps and potential remedies for life scientists around the world to deal with dual use issues.
