Ethics of modern developments in agriculture technologies. Opinion No. 24 of the European Group of Ethics in Science and New Technologies to the European Commission

摘要

Production, processing and distribution of agricultural products and food are generally accepted as routine parts of everyday life. Food and agriculture are means to an end that is not only technical, economic or political in nature but also inherently ethical, namely to feed the world's population while respecting future generations' needs and expectations in terms of food security, safety and sustainability.The current revision of the EU common agricultural policy, food security and safety, climate change, agricultural sustainability and global trade in agricultural commodities are all issues that have grabbed the attention of media, policy-makers and civil society in the last few years. According to the latest FAO report published in early December 2008, some million people were suffering hunger in the world in 2008, 40 million more than in 2007, as a consequence of higher food prices. The continuing financial and economic crisis could push even more people into hunger and poverty. There is therefore a passionate debate on how to face these challenges, with high expectations that new technologies in agriculture could contribute to solving this problem. In order to address the new challenges and opportunities which lie ahead for EU agriculture, President Barroso therefore asked the EGE to give its advice on the ethical implications of modern developments in agricultural technologies. The Group accepted this difficult task and decided to focus primarily onagricultural technologies and methods for primary production of food of plant origin.