• Citizen rights, participation and democratisation

Citizen rights, participation and democratisation in biotechnology governance

Although the production and consumption of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) could impact on socio-cultural systems of rural populations in developing countries, rural people are usually far removed from important decision-making processes. This issue was discussed at an FAO email conference held from 17 January to 13 February 2005. Although there was broad agreement that rural people should be involved in decision-making when it is likely to impact on them, opinions on the degree and nature of participation differed.

Participants felt that effective participation depended on access to unbiased and comprehensive information on the nature and consequences of GMOs, and that this would need to be communicated effectively using extension services, radio and local languages. Costs of rural participation in decision-making could be shared by the government and stakeholders. International agreements were also discussed, with a view that agreements-although useful- could compromise outcomes of national debates on GMOs. The conference discussions are grouped under seven main themes:

• the degree and nature of public participation of rural people in decision-making regarding GMOs
• what type of information do the rural people require?
• misinformation and the quality of information required by the rural people
• scepticism about the public participation process
• appropriate channels for communicating with the rural people in developing countries
• costs of public participation
• international agreements/guidelines and public participation

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