GMO regulation and civic participation at the “edge of the world”: the case of Australia and New Zealand

Abstract

Civic participation in decision-making about the regulation of genetically modified organisms has become increasingly important in both Australia and New Zealand. This paper explores the somewhat uneven emergence of public participation in discussion and decision-making about GMOs in these different, but closely related contexts. Accounts of public engagement with decision-making about the regulation of GMOs are juxtaposed with critical reflections on what might appear to be opportunities for citizens to exert control over the development and use of genetic science. In this respect, the paper contributes to what Alan Irwin (2006, p. 300) has referred to as “an analytically skeptical (but not dismissive) perspective on the 'new' mode of scientific governance”. The paper concludes with some critical reflections on the development of enhanced democratic decision-making with respect to new biotechnologies, particularly GMOs.