A citizens committee plans to unravel the mysteries of food biotechnology this winter.
The University of Calgary is pulling together a 15 member committee of people from across Canada to discuss the implications of genetically engineered foods.
The committee is selected from about 150 applicants who submitted resumes after the proposal was advertised across the country.
It meets twice this winter to learn about biotechnology in a general way. Members then develop a series of questions for experts representing scientists, agriculture, environmentalists, ethicists, and health and safety experts.
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They will then gather for a public conference March 5-7 at the university, said project co-ordinator Deborah Eastlick.
“The beauty of this process is that the agenda is set by the citizen panel,” she said.
Led by Edna Einsiedel, a professor in the graduate program for communication studies, the committee follows a concept developed in Europe, in which the public is invited to discuss topics in a town hall format. Einsiedel also sits on the national biotechnology advisory committee formed earlier this year.
Following the conference, the committee will write a brief to circulate among industry, scientists, governments and the public.
