Biotechnologie

Biotechnology is a broad term embracing the manipulation of living organisms and spans the large range of activities from conventional techniques for fermentation and plant and animal breeding to recent innovations in tissue culture, irradiation, genomics and marker-assisted breeding and selection to augment natural breeding. It is now possible to overcome natural physiological reproductive or recombination barriers which provide organisms with physiological and evolutionary advantages over their natural counterparts. Recent years have seen biotechnology on the cutting edge of change in numerous domains.

In many cases, this rapid change is not followed by evaluation and transparent communication of advances among actors. The fact is that modern biotechnology is lagging behind development and information for the involved stakeholders (ie. researchers, producers, consumers) remains largely anecdotal and contradictory, generating uncertainty on benefits and harms. There is a wide range of controversy on the environmental, human health and economic risks and benefits of modern biotechnology, many of which are as yet unknown. Furthermore, concern is also raised about long-term consequences of an over-emphasis on biotechnology and related neglect of other areas within agricultural research and education.

The moral and ethical implications of biotechnologies remain a focal point of the civil society, but often are neglected by agricultural research. The use of patents for transgenes introduces additional issues. In developing countries especially, instruments such as patents may drive up costs, restrict experimentation by the individual farmer or public researcher while also potentially undermining local practices that enhance food security and economic sustainability. In this regard, there is particular concern about present Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) instruments eventually inhibiting seed-saving, exchange, sale and access to proprietary materials necessary for the independent research community to conduct analyses and long term experimentation on impacts. Another practical risk lies on the economic and ecological impacts followed by contamination of organic and conventional crops by Genetically Modified (GM) germplasm.

The IAASTD recognizes the significance of multifunctional, problem-oriented solutions to local problems and investment on local priorities identified through participatory and transparent processes. These processes require new kinds of support for academia and the public to critically engage in assessments of the technical, social, political, cultural, gender, legal, environmental and economic impacts of modern biotechnology. The question remains how do these terms translate to practice and how can such research be realized.

This workshop aims to identify the role of the University in dealing with and ameliorating the current problems in biotechnology. Through a discussion of what the different types of biotechnology reveal about our understanding of our place in the world, it aims to project what responsibility scientists have to consider and to define focal areas of research to complement modern biotechnology in the fields of core agricultural sciences. 

With the aid of contributions by internal and external participants, this workshop aims to define how academia and specifically the Universität Hohenheim, can respond to the findings of the IAASTD.

This workshop will be held in German.

The panel consists of the following 10 minute long presentations:

1.      Dr. Eva Willnegger

2.      Dr. Ulrike Hahn, Abteilung Pharmakologie, Synovo GmbH

3.      Ms. Dr. Velimirov, FIBL Österreich

Moderator:   Prof. Dr. Nicolaus von Wirén, Institut für Pflanzernährung, Universität Hohenheim