15 pages., via online journal., This paper presents selected highlights from the ‘Engaging with society’ session of EFSA's third Scientific Conference ‘Science, Food and Society’ (Parma, Italy, 18–21 September 2018). The social dimension for scientific advisory bodies largely concerns science communication and public engagement. The political, economic and technological transformation of contemporary societies is challenging conventional structures and approaches in these areas. The disintermediation of communication and the proliferation of misinformation, it is argued, herald the onset of the post‐truth society. A better understanding of the way individuals consume information today has led to the development of tools to guide mediators such as journalists and communication specialists in countering these trends. Public engagement can reinforce confidence in regulatory bodies and potentially contribute to the quality of the scientific process. Scientific advisory bodies in Europe have created strategies and mechanisms to engage the public that are designed to increase transparency and representativeness. To be effective, several engagement mechanisms are needed, although factors such as resource constraints, institutional culture and public/stakeholder attitudes may limit their development. In conclusion, a more vigorous role for social research is needed to place scientific risk assessment within broader socio‐economic and political contexts. Social science expertise can help to define more impactful public information strategies and to explore the potential opportunities that engaged stakeholders and citizens can make to sustain and strengthen regulatory science.
Jagtap, S.S. (author), Jones, J.W. (author), Hildebrand, P. (author), Letson, D. (author), O'Brien, J.J. (author), Podestá, G. (author), Zierden, D. (author), and Zazueta, F. (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2002-12
Published:
USA: Elsevier
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 161 Document Number: D07811
Specht, Kathrin (author), Sanyé-Mengual, Esther (author), and Institute of Socio-Economics, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
Research Center in Urban Environment for Agriculture and Biodiversity (Rescue-AB), Department of Agricultural Sciences (DIPSA), Università di Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2017-03
Published:
International: Elsevier Ltd.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 163 Document Number: D08151
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D08849
Notes:
Pages 33-57 in Kunelius, Risto Eide, Elisabeth Tegelberg, Matthew Yagodin, Dmitry (eds.), Media and global climate knowledge: journalism and the IPCC. United States: Palgrave Macmillan, New York City, New York. 309 pages.
