Elusive publics Citation for published version (APA): Mitzschke, A. (2018). Elusive publics: understanding techno-scientific controversy and democratic governance in the GM crops debate. Datawyse / Universitaire Pers Maastricht. https://doi.org/10.26481/dis.20181220am Document status and date: Published: 01/01/2018 DOI: 10.26481/dis.20181220am Document Version: Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Please check the document version of this publication: • A submitted manuscript is the version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. 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ELUSIVE PUBLICS – Understanding Techno-Scientific Controversy and Democratic Governance in the GM Crops Debate Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit Maastricht op gezag van de Rector Magnificus, Prof.dr. Rianne M. Letschert, volgens het besluit van het College van Decanen, in het openbaar te verdedigen op donderdag 20 december 2018, om 12:00 uur door Andreas Mitzschke Promotor: Prof. dr. ir. Wiebe E. Bijker Co-promotor: Dr. Anique M. Hommels Beoordelingscommissie: Prof. dr. ir. Harro van Lente (voorzitter, Maastricht University) Prof. dr. Jacqueline E.W. Broerse (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) Prof. dr. Cyrus C.M. Mody (Maastricht University) Dr. ir. Govert Valkenburg (Universiteit Leiden) Prof. dr. Sally M.E. Wyatt (Maastricht University) Contents List of Figures 7 List of Tables 7 List of Abbreviations 8 Chapter 1 Introduction – The GM Crops Controversy 11 GM crops & publics 12 The Controversy about GM Crops 15 A Constructivist Approach 22 Publics & Politics 24 Sources & Method 31 The Arenas of the GM Crops Debate 39 A Note on Contextual Specificity 43 Chapter 2 More than Just Rats- Toxicological Risk Assessment Publicly Contested 45 Introduction: a debate about lab rats 46 Issues, Publics, and Boundary Work 49 A New Perspective in Toxicology: Séralini’s long-term feeding study 52 Questioning Séralini: politics, not science? 55 Defending Séralini’s Scientific Integrity: the politics of science 63 Institutions as Arbiters: EFSA and FCT 72 Retraction and Republication: shifting boundaries of science 78 Conclusion: more than just lab rats 84 Chapter 3 Imagining Futures with(out) GM Crops - Normativity, Temporality, and Publics 91 Introduction: visions of our sociotechnical future 92 Sociotechnical Imaginaries and the GM Crops Debate 93 Productivity for Food Security and Competitiveness 99 Environmentalism 106 Complex Ecology 111 Seed Sovereignty 121 Conclusion: sociotechnical imaginaries and publics 134 5 Chapter 4 The Bt-brinjal Consultations - Publics in the Arena of GM crop Policy-Making 139 Introduction: publics of Bt-brinjal? 140 STS and the Study of Public Policy: a case for constructivist analysis 142 From Conventional Policy-Making to Public Engagement 145 Public Participation, Displaced Politics, and Democracy 148 The Bt-brinjal Consultations 151 The CEE Report 157 Constructing Publics: consumers, farmers, citizens 160 Ramesh’s Moratorium Decision: how publics of Bt-brinjal shaped policy 175 Conclusion: the elephant in the room 180 Chapter 5 Conclusion - Elusive Publics 183 Constructing Publics and GM Crops 184 The Role of Science 189 Democratising Techno-Scientific Culture: the paradox of public authority 192 Appendix: List of Interviews 201 Nederlandse Samenvatting 205 English Summary 213 Acknowledgements 221 Valorisation Addendum 225 Bibliography 231 6 List of Figures Figure 1: Laboratory experimentation with new GM crop varieties, Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai (source: author, 2013) 16 Figure 2: Transgenic insertion of gene into host plant cells, Indian government information leaflet (CEE 2010b, p.8) 18 Figure 3: Global area of GM crops (1996-2016), by trait, in million hectares (source, James, 2016, p.93) 20 Figure 4: Heavily policed assembly of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) farmers’ union in Bangalore (source: author, 2012) 28 Figure 5: Display of rats with mammary gland tumours, organs, and cell mutations of laboratory rats (Séralini et. al., 2012, p.6) 60 Figure 6: “At Monsanto, we believe agriculture has the power to lift people out of poverty” (Monsanto, 2012b, p.121) 103 Figure 7: Journalist Devinder Sharma, politician Yogandra Yadav, South Indian Coordination Committee Convener S Kannayan, La Via Campesina activist Ashlesha Khadse, local journalist, and researcher (from left to right) at Amritha Bhoomi (source: author, 2013). 131 Figure 8: Assembly of BKU and KRRS farmer leaders at Amritha Bhoomi (source: author, 2013) 132 Figure 9: Decorated tractor at Good Food March, Brussels, September 2012 (source: author, 2012) 133 Figure 10: Minister Ramesh discussing with protestors at a consultation venue (CEE, 2010a, p.13) 155 Figure 11: Attendance at the consultations per venue and by category (CEE, 2010a, p. 12) 156 Figure 12: Farmer Jury assembly in Bhubaneswar, Odisha (author, 2012) 195 List of Tables Table 1: Global area of GM crops (2015/16) by crop, in million hectares (James, 2016, p.90) 19 Table 2: Overview of the sociotechnical imaginaries in the GM crops debate (source: author, 2018) 138 7 List of Abbreviations AAP Aam Aadmi Party ABC Agricultural Biotechnology Council (United Kingdom) ABLE Association of Biotech Led Enterprises ABSP Agriculture Biotechnology Support Project (Cornell University, USAID) ASHA Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture BAC Biotechnology Advisory Council (Belgium) BASF Badische Anilin & Soda Fabrik BfR Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) BKS Bharat Krishak Samaj BKU Bhartiya Kisan Union BSE Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Bt Bacillus thuringiensis CBD Convention on Biodiversity (United Nations) CCI Competition Commission of India CEE Centre for Environment Education (Ahmedabad) CEO Corporate Europe Observatory (Brussels) CIFA Consortium of Indian Farmers Associations CICR Central Institute for Cotton Research (Nagpur) COPE Committee on Publication Ethics CRIIGEN Comité de Recherche et d’Information Indépendantes sur le gémnie Génétique (University of Caen) CSA Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (Hyderabad) CSE Centre for Science and Environment (New Delhi) DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid DBT Department of Biotechnology (MoST, GoI) ECI Expert Committee I ECII Expert Committee II EFSA European Food Safety Authority (Parma) ENSSER European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility ERA Environmental Risk Assessment ESG Environment Support Group (Bangalore) ETC Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (Toronto) EU European Union FAO Food and Agricultural Organisation (United Nations) FBAE Foundation for Biotechnology Awareness and Education (Bangalore) FCT Food and Chemical Toxicology (Elsevier) FDA Food and Drug Administration (United States) 8 GEAC Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (previously Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, renamed in 2009) GE Genetically Engineered GLP Good Laboratory Practice GM Genetically Modified GMO Genetically Modified Organism GoI Government of India H.NU Hervorming Nederlandse Universiteiten Nu HT Herbicide Tolerance IAASTD International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research ICCFM Indian Coordination Committee of Famers Movements ICRA Institute for Cultural Research and Action (Bangalore) IIVR Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (Varanasi) IPM Integrated Pest Management IR Insect Resistance IRRI International Rice Research Institute (Philippines) ISAAA International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications KRRS Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha Mahyco Maharashtra