Acceptable Genes?

Description

Modern biotechnology has surpassed science fiction with such feats as putting fish genes in tomatoes to create a more cold-resistant crop. While the environmental and health concerns over such genetically modified foods have been the subject of public debate, religious and spiritual viewpoints have been given short shrift. This book seeks to understand the moral and religious attitudes of groups within pluralistic societies whose traditions and beliefs raise for them unique questions about food and dietary practice. What questions are there for kosher Jews, halal Muslims, and vegetarian Hindus about food products containing transgenes from prohibited sources? How do these foods impact the cultural practices and spiritual teachings of indigenous peoples? Concerns from the above traditions as well as Christianity, Buddhism, Chinese religion, and ethical vegetarianism are included. Contributors look at the ethical context of each tradition and also include information from focus groups. This enlightening work concludes with recommendations for the labeling of genetically modified foods.
Introduction
Conrad G. Brunk and Harold Coward

1. Genetics and Genetically Modified Organisms
Samuel Abraham

2. Ethical Perspectives on Food Biotechnology
Paul B. Thompson

3. Does Vegetarianism Preclude Eating GM Foods?
Lyne Létourneau

4. “When You Plow the Field Your Torah Is with You”: Genetic Modification and GM Food in the Jewish Tradition(s)
Laurie Zoloth

5. Some Christian Reflections on GM Food
Donald Bruce

6. Genetically Modified Foods and Muslim Ethics
Ebrahim Moosa

7. A Hundred Autumns to Flourish: Hindu Attitudes to Genetically Modified Food
Vasudha Narayanan

8. The Karma of Genetically Modified Food: A Buddhist Perspective
David R. Loy

9. “So That You May Have It with No Harm”: Changing Attitudes toward Food in Late Imperial China
Hsiung Ping-chen

10. Born from Bears and Corn: Why Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Beliefs Matter in the Debate on GM Foods
Shiri Pasternak, Lorenzo Mazgul, Nancy J. Turner

11. Regulatory and Innovation Implications of Religious and Ethical Sensitivities concerning GM Food
Conrad G. Brunk, Nola M. Ries, Leslie C. Rodgers

Contributors
Index

Sujets

• Engineering & Technology
• Ethics in religion
• Comparative religion
• Environmental science

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 30 octobre 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781438428963
• Langue: English

Extrait

Acceptable Genes? RelIgIous TradItIons and GenetIcally ModIied Foods

EdIted by Conrad G. Brunk Harold Coward

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Acceptable Genes?

SUNY serîes on Reîgîon and the Envîronment ——————— Harod Coward, edîtor

Acceptable Genes? Religious Traditions and Genetically Modified Foods

Edîted by CONRAD G. BRUNK and HAROLD COWARD

Pubîshed by State Unîversîty of New York Press, Abany

© 2009 State Unîversîty of New York

A rîghts reserved

Prînted în the Unîted States of Amerîca

No part of thîs book may be used or reproduced în any manner whatsoever wîthout wrîtten permîssîon. No part of thîs book may be stored în a retrîeva system or transmîtted în any form or by any means încudîng eectronîc, eectrostatîc, magnetîc tape, mechanîca, photocopyîng, recordîng, or otherwîse wîthout the prîor permîssîon în wrîtîng of the pubîsher.

For înformatîon, contact State Unîversîty of New York Press, Abany, NY www.sunypress.edu

Productîon by Eîeen Meehan Marketîng by Anne M. Vaentîne

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Acceptabe genes? : reîgîous tradîtîons and genetîcay modîied foods / edîted by  Conrad G. Brunk and Harod Coward.  p. cm. — (SUNY serîes on reîgîon and the envîronment)  Incudes bîbîographîca references and îndex.  ISBN 978-1-4384-2895-6 (hardcover : ak. paper)  ISBN 978-1-4384-2894-9 (pbk. : ak. paper)  1. Genetîcay modîied foods—Reîgîous aspects. I. Brunk, Conrad G. (Conrad Grebe), 1945– II. Coward, Harod G.

TP248.65.F66A23 2009 215’.7—dc22

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2009007283

Contents

Introductîon  Conrad G. Brunk and Harold Coward

 1. Genetîcs and Genetîcay Modîied Organîsms  Samuel Abraham

 2. Ethîca Perspectîves on Food Bîotechnoogy  Paul B. Thompson

 3. Does Vegetarîanîsm Precude Eatîng GM Foods?  Lyne Létourneau

 4. “When You Pow the Fîed, Your Torah Is wîth You”: Genetîc  Modîicatîon and GM Food în the Jewîsh Tradîtîon(s)  Laurîe Zoloth

 5. Some Chrîstîan Relectîons on GM Food  Donald Bruce

 6. Genetîcay Modîied Foods and Musîm Ethîcs  Ebrahîm Moosa

 7. A Hundred Autumns to Fourîsh: Hîndu Attîtudes to  Genetîcay Modîied Food  Vasudha Narayanan

 8. The Karma of Genetîcay Modîied Food: A Buddhîst  Perspectîve  Davîd R. Loy

1

19

39

63

81

115

135

159

179

vi

Contents

 9. “So That You May Have It wîth No Harm”:  Changîng Attîtudes toward Food în Late Imperîa Chîna  Hsîung Pîng-chen

10. Born from Bears and Corn: Why Indîgenous Knowedge  Systems and Beîefs Matter în the Debate on GM Foods  Shîrî Pasternak, Lorenzo Mazgul, Nancy J. Turner

11. Reguatory and Innovatîon Impîcatîons of Reîgîous and  Ethîca Sensîtîvîtîes concernîng GM Food  Conrad G. Brunk, Nola M. Rîes, Leslîe C. Rodgers

Contrîbutors

Index

197

211

231

257

263

Introduction

Conrad G. Brunk and Harold Coward

A îvey debate about genetîcay modîied foods has engaged around the word sînce theîr irst întroductîon onto the markets of many countrîes în the ast decades of the twentîeth century. The debate has been especîay întense în Europe, Japan, and parts of Afrîca and has ed în many înstances to moratorîa on the întroductîon of genetîcay modîied crops înto the agrîcuture of the socîetîes and strîct requîrements for the abeîng of genet- îcay modîied foods and food îngredîents produced în or îmported înto the country. Thîs debate has been uncharacterîstîcay subdued în North Amerîca, where these products were irst grown for commercîa use and sent to mar- kets for consumptîon. Pubîc concern or opposîtîon was îmîted prîmarîy to sma, often margînaîzed, envîronmenta or consumer groups but dîd not become wîdespread as în other regîons. One reason for thîs may have been that government reguators în Canada and the Unîted States approved these products for the market wîth no pubîc announcement that they were doîng so and certaîny wîthout any prîor pubîc consutatîon, în contrast to the practîce în most European countrîes. Indeed, most peope în North Amerîca have been untî very recenty competey unaware that much of the food they are purchasîng îs from genetîcay modîied corn, canoa, soy- beans, and other crops, and that genetîcay modîied or coned food anîmas have been deveoped and appîcatîons for theîr market approva submîtted to theîr reguators. Athough pubîc awareness îs now more wîdespread în North Amerîca, eves of concern over GM food are stî faîry ow on the pubîc’s îst of poîtîca prîorîtîes. One concern, however, îs not ow—that of the desîre for abeîng of these products în order to gîve consumers a choîce whether or not to purchase them.

1

2

Conrad G. Brunk and Harold Coward

There are many surveys of what, for exampe, Canadîan, Amerîcan, or Brîtîsh popuatîons thînk about varîous aspects of bîotechnoogy and genetîcay modîied foods. But these goba surveys are rarey conducted în ways that capture the specîic concerns of subpopuatîons whose attîtudes or vaues mîght vary sîgnîicanty from those of the popuatîon în genera, such as those who are adherents of specîic reîgîous or ethîca cutures and tradîtîons. Indeed, ît îs we known that the manner în whîch peope respond to requests for theîr opînîons on neary any subject îs înluenced sîgnîicanty by many varîabes. Most împortant among these îs the manner în whîch the questîon posed by the questîoner îs contextuaîzed. For exampe, most sub- jects occupy dîfferent socîa roes, and ît may not be evîdent to them whîch one they are beîng asked to adopt when respondîng to a questîon—that of consumer, cîtîzen, parent, or member of a cutura or reîgîous communîty. These îdentîicatîons can make a sîgnîicant dîfference în the way peope respond to requests for theîr opînîon, because the partîcuar persona or socîa îdentîicatîon makes more saîent to them the vaues and concerns that are approprîate to that îdentîicatîon. Ceary, among the most împortant socîa and persona îdentîtîes în terms of whîch peope relect theîr most profound vaues are theîr reîgîous and ethîca îdentîtîes. Askîng someone în hîs or her capacîty as a reîgîous beîever or practîtîoner to advance an opînîon on a matter from the poînt of vîew of that reîgîous beîef or practîce îs îkey to eîcît a dîfferent response than îf one had asked for the opînîon în abstractîon from that roe or from the poînt of vîew of some other roe, such as the roe of cîtîzen or consumer. The very genera questîon, “Do you thînk genetîcay modîied foods are a good thîng?” or even the more specîic questîon, “Do you thînk genetîcay modîied foods shoud be abeed?” asked out of any context and abstracted from any background of înformatîon that coud be crucîa to the subject’s assessment of the îssue may not eîcît a reîabe expressîon of the subject’s consîdered judgment în îght of hîs or her core vaues. A questîon that asks the subject to relect on a matter from the poînt of vîew of those core vaues and în îght of otherwîse unavaîabe înformatîon that mîght be reevant to those vaues woud be more îkey to eîcît a reîabe response. So, the questîon, “As a Musîm who foows the dîscîpîne of Isamîc dîetary rues (halal), how do you fee about eatîng food that contaîns DNA from an anîma that îs not acceptabe for you to eat?” draws the subject’s attentîon to aspects of the îssue that may not have occurred to hîm or her at a îf the more genera questîon had been asked or îf the questîon had not been addressed to the subjectas a Muslîm. The aîm of thîs book îs to understand the mora and reîgîous attîtudes of sîgnîicant subpopuatîons wîthîn puraîstîc socîetîes whose tradîtîons and beîefs raîse for them unîque questîons about food and dîetary practîce that