Biotechnology in Food Research

1998 - 2003
Application

Research project funded by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries

____________________________________________________________
1. Applicant (address, telephone, fax.):

Peter Sandøe, Research Professor. Department of Animal Science and

Animal Health, the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University,
8 Grønnegårdsvej, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C.
Tel: 35 28 30 59. Fax: 35 28 30 22. E-mail: psand@coco.ihi.ku.dk

Anne Busk-Jensen, Director. LMC - Centre for Advanced Food Studies,

the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, 30 Rolighedsvej,
DK-1958 Frederiksberg C.
Tel: 35 28 32 29. Fax:35 28 32 10. E-mail: anbj@kvl.dk

Henrik Callesen, Senior Research Scientist. Department of Animal Breeding and

Genetics, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Research Centre Foulum,
PO Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele.
Tel: 89 99 12 61. Fax: 89 99 13 00. E-mail: henrik.callesen@agrsci.dk

Karin Hammer, Professor. Department of Microbiology, Technical

University of Denmark, Building 301, DK-2800 Lyngby.
Tel: 45 25 24 96. Fax: 45 88 26 60. Email: kh@im.dtu.dk

Lotte Holm, Associate Professor. Research Department of Human

Nutrition, the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University,
30 Rolighedsvej, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C.
Tel: 35 28 24 96. Fax: 3528 2483/2469. E-mail: loho@kvl.dk
 Andrew Jamison, Professor. Department of Development and Planning,
Aalborg University, 13 Fibigerstræde, DK-9220 Aalborg.
Tel: 96 35 84 21. Fax: 98 15 10 85. E-mail: andy@i4.auc.dk

Annette Olesen, Associate Professor. Department of Agricultural Sciences,

the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University,
40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C.
Tel: 35 28 34 41. Fax: 35 28 34 68. E-mail: aol@kvl.dk

Ane Bodil Søgaard, Associate Research Professor. Department of

Agricultural Sciences, the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, 10
Agrovej, DK-2600 Tåstrup.
Tel: 35 28 34 74. Fax: 35 28 21 75.

The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University departments with which Peter Sandøe, Lotte
Holm and Annette Olesen are associated and Andrew Jamison´s department at Aalborg
University will receive funding for this project. The institutions of the other co-applicants will
receive no direct funding. The applicants will together form a board which will be responsible
for running the project. A central aim of the project is to engage researchers involved in food
biotechnology research in dialogue and reflection on ethical issues and consumer attitudes. Board
members cover key areas in food biotechnology research, as well as sociology and ethics. They
will therefore be able to steer the project so that it remains directly relevant to ongoing front-line
research within food biotechnology. The board includes members actively involved in the
science of food biotechnology, so fruitful dialogue between the project team and those directly
involved in food biotechnology research will be assured.

___________________________________________________________
2. Title of project:

Ethical Perspectives on Food Biotechnology

___________________________________________________________
3. The project falls under the main area(s) of:

Acceptance by Society and Ethics

____________________________________________________________
4. Project manager (name, title, address):

Peter Sandøe, Research Professor. Department of Animal Science and Animal

Health, the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, 8 Grønnegårdsvej,
DK-1870 Frederiksberg C.
Tel: 35 28 30 59. Fax: 35 28 30 22. E-mail: psand@coco.ihi.ku.dk

________________________________________________________
5. Project employees (names, titles, address(es):
 Kathrine Hauge Madsen, Associate Research Professor. Department of
Agricultural Sciences, the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University,
40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C.
Tel: 35 28 34 45. Fax: 35 28 34 68. E-mail: khm@kvl.dk

Jesper Lassen, Assistant Professor, Department of Development and Planning,

Aalborg University, 13 Fibigerstræde, DK-9220 Aalborg.
Tel: 96 35 80 80. Fax: 98 15 10 85. E-mail: jlassen@i4.auc.dk
____________________________________________________________
6. Duration of project: 4 years From: 1 May 1999 To: 30 April 2003

____________________________________________________________
7. Objective:

The first aim of the project is to articulate and map out ethical concerns to which the
development and use of food biotechnology may give rise. Empirical research will be conducted
to reveal the public and professional concerns and worries which underlie the common, and
mainly negative, attitudes towards the use of biotechnology in food production. Existing surveys
will serve as a starting point for this research which is carried out by means of in-depth
qualitative interviews of representatives of key interest-groups.

A second aim is to examine the role of NGOs in the shaping of the regulation of biotechnology.
This part of the project will be organized in three stages. In the first stage, there will be a series
of focus group interviews involving a selection of the population. The second stage will be a
study of the position of selected NGOs, enabling a comparison between the attitudes expressed
by the NGOs and those expressed by the public. Finally, the interface between the NGOs and the
political process will be explored in order to determine the influence of NGOs on the
biotechnology policy.

The next aim is to assess the impact of the various ethical concerns upon ongoing scientific
research concerning food biotechnology. Analyses will be carried out to clarify whether, and if
so to what extent, biotechnological research and its potential applications are problematic in view
of these concerns.

Third, ethical objections to food biotechnology will be compared and contrasted with the law
governing its development and use. A specific focus will be on risk analysis and other
scientifically based investigations aimed at securing public trust in the use of biotechnology. The
values underlying various forms of risk analysis will be analysed and evaluated. It will be asked
how well these values correspond to, or "match", the ethical perspective of society. In cases of
"mismatch", suggestions will be made as to what alternative approaches to risk might be taken.

These issues will be seen in an international perspective. The project will make use of surveys
and other sociological research from a number of other countries. Also focus will be on various
forms of legislative framework in major markets. This is important for two reasons: First, the
 Danish situation is bound to be influenced by what goes on in other, particularly EU-countries.
Secondly, Danish food production is clearly situated on an international market.

These analyses will be carried through in close collaboration with groups conducting research
within food biotechnology. This will encourage researchers and regulators to engage in ethical
reflection on relevant ethical issues.

To further facilitate ethical discussion among the scientists, workshops will be held at regular
intervals. At the workhops the relevant research groups will be invited to discuss aspects of their
research which give rise to ethical concern. The project will be involved in organizing the
Second European Congress on Agricultural and Food Ethics in Copenhagen, August 2000. One
main theme of the congress is Agricultural and Food Biotechnology. The research groups will
receive a newsletter, Ethical Perspectives on Food Biotechnology, which will be circulated every
second month.

Finally there will be activities aimed at informing the general public and engaging them in an
ethical dialogue. Two public meetings will be scheduled in connection with the project.

In the context of this project 'food biotechnology' covers both primary animal and plant
production and subsequent processing. The specific focus will be on research conducted within
the research programmes: Biotechnology in Food Research, Development of Future Cultural
Plants, New technologies in Animal Breeding and Alternatives to Antibiotic Growth Promoters.

_____________________________________________________________
8. Summary of project (in English)

Ethical perspectives on Food Biotechnology

The project will extend and deepen our understanding of ethical problems relating to the
development and use of food biotechnology. During the project research will be conducted
which clarifies and may improve the basis of risk assessment. There will be two sociological
subprojects. First a Ph.D.-project, based on qualitative interviews, which will analyse public
attitudes to biotechnology. Secondly, the role of the NGOs in the shaping of the regulation of
biotechnology will be studied by means of focus group interviews and document and media
analysis. An important objective within the overall project is to engage food biotechnology
researchers in discussion of ethical questions relating to their work. This will be achieved
through interdisciplinary meetings. The project will be involved in the Second European
Congress on Agricultural and Food Ethics to be held in Copenhagen, August 2000. A final role
of the project is to inform, and create a dialogue with, the public.

_____________________________________________________________
9. Summary of project (in Danish):

Etiske synsvinkler på fødevare bioteknologi

 Projektets mål er at skabe en dybere forståelse af etiske problemer, som kan knytte sig til
udvikling og anvendelse af fødevarebioteknologi. Der vil inden for projektet foregå forskning,
som retter sig mod at forstå og evt. forbedre grundlaget for risikovurderinger. Der vil være to
sociologiske delprojekter, dels et ph.d.-projekt, som på grundlag af kvalitative interviews søger at
forstå befolkningens holdninger til bioteknologi, dels et delprojekt, som undersøger NGOers rolle
i udformningen af regler for bioteknologi. Det sidste sker ved hjælp af fokusgruppe interviews og
analyse af offentlige dokumenter og medier. En væsentlig opgave for projektet er at engagere
forskere inden for fødevare bioteknologi i en diskussion af etiske spørgsmål med relation til deres
egen forskning. Dette vil ske via tværfaglige møder. Projektet vil bistå ved gennemførelsen af
Second European Congress on Agricultural and Food Ethics, som afholdes i København, august
2000. Endelig er det hensigten at bidrage til information af og dialog med en bredere
offentlighed.

_____________________________________________________________
10. Collaborative relations to other institutions:

It is crucial to the project that there is close contact and co-operation with those who are involved
in food biotechnology research on a daily basis, or involved in the regulatory process. This
objective will be achieved in good part through the group of co-applicants, but in addition the
institutions listed below have agreed to participate in the project. (To be more exact, these
institutions have declared themselves willing to engage in dialogue about ethics and consumer
attitudes in relation to their respective areas of competence. Representatives of the institutions
will thus participate in workshops organised by the project.)

Department of Dairy and Food Science, Dairy Technology, the Royal Veterinary and
Agricultural University, 30 Rolighedsvej, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C.
Att.: Professor Karsten Bruun Qvist.
Tel: 35 28 32 54. Fax: 35 28 31 90. E-mail: kbq@kvl.dk

Department of Dairy and Food Science, Food Microbiology, the Royal Veterinary and
Agricultural University, 30 Rolighedsvej, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C.
Att.: Professor Mogens Jacobsen.
Tel: 35 28 32 16. Fax: 35 28 31 90. E-mail: moj@kvl.dk

Department of Plant Biology, Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, the Royal Veterinary and
Agricultural University, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871.
Att.: Professor Birger Lindberg Møller.
Tel: 35 28 33 52. Fax: 35 28 33 33. E-mail: blm@kvl.dk

Department of Plant Biology, Danish Agricultural Sciences, Flakkebjerg,

DK-4200 Slagelse.
Att.: Research director Per Steen.
Tel: 58 11 33 00. Fax: 58 11 33 01. E-mail: per.steen@agrsci.dk

Biotechnology Group, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-

1871 Frederiksberg C.
Att.: Senior research scientist Peter Ulvskov.
Tel: 35 28 25 80. Fax: 35 28 25 89. E-mail: p.ulvskov@dias.kvl.dk

Danish Veterinary Laboratory, 27 Bülowsvej, DK-1790 Copenhagen V.

Att.: Director Knud Børge Pedersen,
Tel: 35 30 01 00. Fax: 35 30 01 25. E-mail: kbp@svs.dk

Danish Veterinary Institute for Virus Research,

Lindholm, DK-4771 Kalvehave.
Att.: Research Scientist Søren Kamstrup.
Tel: 55 86 02 00. Fax: 55 86 03 00. E-mail: sk@vetvirus.dk

The National Forest and Nature Agency, 53 Haraldsgade,

DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø.
Att.: Hans Erik Svart
Tel: 39 27 39 47. Fax: 39 47 98 99. E-mail: hes@sns.dk
Danish Environmental Protection Agency, Dept. of Agriculture and Biotechnology,
29 Strandgade, DK-1401 Copenhagen K.
Att.: Gitte S. Poulsen and Holger Petersen
Tel: 32 66 01 00. Fax: 32 66 04 19. E-mail: gsp@mst.dk/hop@mst.dk

Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, Institute of Food Safety and Toxicology,
19 Mørkhøj Bygade, DK-2860 Søborg.
Att.: Head of Section Ilona Kryspin Sørensen
Tel: 3395 60 00. Fax: 33 95 65 95. E-mail: iks@vfd.dk

There are contacts to international research networks within food and agricultural ethics. Thus
Peter Sandøe is one of the founders of the new European Society of Agricultural Ethics. He also
has good contacts to biotechnological industries through his membership of Europa Bio's group
of ethical advisers (AGE).

In the field of risk assessment of transgenic plants Kathrine H. Madsen is involved in starting a
European project financed by the European Commission and selected member states.

Lotte Holm has from previous and current projects well established collaboration with a number
of social scientists within the area of food and eating habits. Furthermore she has contact with
individual participants in the conferences "Risk and environmental sociology"/ The Nordic
Sociological Association and "The social construction of safe food", both held in 1997.
 Andrew Jamison has a broad international network of research contacts regarding the study of
science and technology.

_____________________________________________________________
11. Proposed budget (for the entire project):

DKK ‘000, current prices

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 total
Man-months:
Scientific staff: 19 33 29 19 4 104
Non-scientific staff: 4,75 7 6,25 6 2 26
Payroll costs:
Scientific staff: 492 1118 985 522 108 3225
Non-scientific staff: 142 210 195 190 63 800
Operating costs: 183 291 246 190 65 975
Purchase of equipment: 0 0 0 0 0 0
General expenses (20%): 164 324 285 180 47 1000
Other (please specify): 0 0 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 981 1943 1711 1082 283 6000

Co-funding (item 13) should not be included in the above figures.

_____________________________________________________________
12. Proposed budget for institution A:

Institution: The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University

DKK ‘000, current prices

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 total
Man-months:
Scientific staff: 15 27 27 19 4 92
Non-scientific staff: 4 6 6 6 2 24
Payroll costs:
Scientific staff: 359 918 918 522 108 2825
Non-scientific staff: 127 190 190 190 63 760
Operating costs: 158 271 241 190 65 925
Purchase of equipment: 0 0 0 0 0 0
General expenses (20%): 129 276 270 180 47 902
 Other (please specify): 0 0 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 773 1654 1618 1082 284 5411

_____________________________________________________________
12. Proposed budget for institution B:

Institution: Aalborg University

DKK ‘000, current prices

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 total
Man-months:
Scientific staff: 4 6 2 0 0 12
Non-scientific staff: 0,75 1 0,25 0 0 2
Payroll costs:
Scientific staff: 133 200 67 0 0 400
Non-scientific staff: 15 20 5 0 0 40
Operating costs: 25 20 5 0 0 50
Purchase of equipment: 0 0 0 0 0 0
General expenses (20%): 35 48 15 0 0 98
Other (please specify): 0 0 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 208 288 92 0 0 588

______________________________________________________________
12. Proposed budget for institution C:

Institution: Technical University of Denmark - no funded activities

_____________________________________________________________
12. Proposed budget for institution D:

Institution: Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences - no funded activities

__________________________________________________________
13. Third-party subsidies/co-funding:

_______ not applied for ______ will be applied for ___X____ approved
(please tick)

Source: The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University

DKK ‘000, current prices

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 total
 Man-months:
Scientific staff: 2 2 2 2 1 9
Non-scientific staff: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Payroll costs:
Scientific staff: 94 94 94 94 47 423
Non-scientific staff: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Operating costs: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Purchase of equipment: 0 0 0 0 0 0
General expenses (20%): 19 19 19 19 9 85
Other (please specify): 0 0 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 113 113 113 113 56 508

The above indicated funding covers Peter Sandøe’s working time, which is already provided by
the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University.

_____________________________________________________________
14. Additional information:

______________________________________________________________
15. Signature(s):

Peter Sandøe
_____________________________________________________

Anne Busk-Jensen
_____________________________________________________

Henrik Callesen
_____________________________________________________

Karin Hammer
_____________________________________________________

Lotte Holm
_____________________________________________________

Andrew Jamison
_____________________________________________________

Annette Olesen
_____________________________________________________
 Ane Bodil Søgaard
_____________________________________________________
Arne Astrup
Head of Department
RVAU
Research Dept. of Human Nutrition
_____________________________________________________
Brian Dennis
Head of Department
RVAU
Dept. of Agricultural Sciences
_____________________________________________________
Jørgen Pedersen
Head of Department
RVAU
Dept. of Animal Science & Animal Health
_____________________________________________________
Henrik Lund
Head of Department
Aalborg University
Dept. of Development and Planning
___________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________
(signatures)

_____________________________________________________________
16. Description of project:

Background

Recent advances in biology have generated a number of new and powerful biotechnological
tools. The use of gene-transfer and other biotechnologies is a relatively new phenomenon within
food production. It comes at a time when environmental concerns are widespread. An underlying
issue in the environmental discourses is that man ought to respect the processes of nature to a
greater extent — rather than dominate and conquer them, as has happened in the so-called
"enlightenment project" of rational control through science and technologies. Seen in the light of
environmental concern it is not surprising that modern biotechnology has provoked rather
vigorous opposition, for it appears to be a technology which enables man to manipulate nature in
new and fundamental ways. At the same time there is, among the general public in the better-off
countries, no perceived need for technological innovation in food production. This perception
contrasts with, for example, that of pharmaceutical production.
Popular opposition to biotechnology also focuses on potential environmental hazards — for
example, the spectre of an uncontrolled spread of genes conferring herbicide resistance among
wild plants, or new types of food causing widespread allergic reactions. This adds to the anxiety
which is tangible in popular reactions to biotechnology in food-production.

However, from a sociological perspective there is more to the opposition to food biotechnology
than the concerns just described. The new biotechnologies appear in wider contexts of conflict
and controversy. They are promoted — and opposed — by social forces and agents involved or
inscribed in other issues of social controversy. They are launched as practical solutions to
specific technological, environmental, economic or social problems, all of which admit of
contrasting understandings and conflicting views. To understand what is at issue in the debate
about food biotechnology it is therefore necessary to take a closer look at the different
understandings of risks and benefits, meanings and effects, which appear in association with
different discourses on biotechnology. And it is necessary to consider how the relevant interest-
groups are conceived: As more or less trustworthy.

There is undoubtedly a communication gap between experts and laymen with regard to
biotechnology. This gap is two-sided: The problem is normally formulated in terms of how the
expert can improve lines of communication to the laity, and improve the laymen's trust in and
acceptance of technical products; but for technology acceptance it is perhaps equally necessary
to facilitate communication from the layman to the expert. Thus, so far as the social and ethical
issues are concerned, both sides of the communication gap must be acknowledged. There should
be no assumption in advance as to the legitimacy or importance of either group.

Another way of approaching the issues is by means of ethical analysis. The worries of the public
about biotechnology are an expression of their values, and these values are best understood in the
context of moral philosophy. In moral philosophy different ethical outlooks have, historically,
been formulated and refined. An understanding of these outlooks makes it possible to gain a
clearer understanding of what is involved in accepting people's values. It is also possible, and
desirable, to see the values in the context of more comprehensive attempts to understand the
natural world and man's place in it. For example, it would appear that scientists normally view
species and genetic structures as undergoing constant change over time, whereas lay people
typically view nature as being more or less static.

But moral philosophy does not only help us to understand the issues underlying biotechnology. It
can also assist in the creation of dialogue. When opposing views are formulated in terms of
moral values it is possible for the opponents to recognise each other as having a distinctively
ethical perspective on the matter — as distinguished from a perspective based solely on interests
or power. Furthermore it may be possible to encourage ethical dialogue about the respective
weight and role of the relevant values.

Activities funded by the project

Within the project it is anticipated that five persons will be employed. A number of collaborative
activities are also planned:

•A four year post appointed at the level of associate professor in the Department of Agricultural
Sciences, the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (RVAU). On a day-to-day basis the
occupant of this post will be in charge of the project. The person, who will have a science
background, will conduct validating research concerning risk analysis and its ethical basis. At
the first stage a scientifically based analysis of existing studies of food safety and environmental
risk assessment will be undertaken, with focus on the validity and reproducibility of these
studies. This evaluation will be compared with the way in which the public was informed of
these results and the ensuing debate. During the second stage these studies will be compared with
the demands for data required by law and the concerns that have been expressed in the public
debate. The ethical beliefs that underwrite the legislation governing food safety and
environmental protection will then be analysed in order to determine whether the required
information accords with the ethics behind the regulation and public attitudes. At the final stage,
following the conclusion of the above analyses, the project aims to develop and elaborate the
most appropriate methods for assessment of food safety and environmental risk assessment. In
particular the long term effects of releasing transgenic crops will be the focus of this project, as
many opponents of genetic engineering are concerned that the legislation is not adequately
restrictive and that this may lead to hazards to human health and the environment in the long
term. During the first phases of the project a six-month study visit to a relevant institution in the
United States will be arranged.

•A four year half-time post for an academic secretary. Together with the associate professor this
person will be responsible for collection of documents, the editing of the newsletter, organising
meetings, workshops, public meetings and an international conference etc.

•A Ph.D. project within social science conducting in-depth research into the concerns and
worries underlying the attitudes of various stakeholders. This project will be carried out at the
Research Department of Human Nutrition at RVAU, under the supervision of associate Professor
Lotte Holm. The project aims at understanding both lay and expert views of biotechnology in
food-production. A first stage of the project could be to interview a broad sample of individuals,
representing different social positions (age, sex, education/profession, income-level, urban/sub-
urban/etc.). This would serve two functions: a) It would provide a rough empirical insight in the
semantic field surrounding biotechnology; and b) it would identify key informants from among
the sample. The second stage would probably require in-depth interviews with a small number,
such as 5-7, of key informants. At the third stage focus group interviews with selected informants
will be convened in order to observe normative elements in attitudes towards biotechnology. The
methodological approach will be by qualitative interview. The selection of informants will be by
standard snowballing techniques. Use will be made of tape- and/or video-records of the
interviews, from which verbatim transcriptions will be prepared. ATLAS/ti or similar software
will be employed to assist analysis. Video-records of interviews offer the possibility of video-
presentations being used later to trigger group-discussions or general debate.
•A one year post appointed at the level of assistant professor in the Department of Development
and Planning, Aalborg University. This person will in collaboration with Andrew Jamison
examine the role of NGOs in the shaping of the regulation of food biotechnology. The study will
be organized in three stages. In the first stage, there will be a series of focus group interviews
involving a selection of the population. The composition of the groups will reflect the different
social sectors, professions and stages of life, and the discussions will be centered around topics
to illuminate the level of trust in the regulatory system, and the nature of trust and attitudes
towards NGOs relating to food biotechnology. The second stage will be a study of the position of
selected NGOs, enabling a comparison between the attitudes expressed by the NGOs and those
expressed by the public. The analysed organisations include: NOAH - Friends of the Earth
Denmark, Greenpeace Denmark, Forbrugerrådet - National Consumers Council, and DAF -
Danmarks Aktive Forbrugere. Finally, the interface between the NGOs and the political process
will be explored in order to determine the influence of NGOs on the food biotechnology policy.
The determination of the influence will be based on analysis of the four organisations mentioned
above and focus on an analysis of documents produced by the NGOs as part of hearings of bills
and policy papers and other expressions of viewpoints aimed directly at the policy process.
These will be compared to the drafts as well as the final regulation. In addition to document and
media analysis, the project will be based on interviews with representatives of the relevant NGOs
as well as from the key regulatory and policy making bodies. It is also anticipated that a small
interactive workshop, with representatives from the four policy domains mentioned earlier, will
be organized.
This part of the project will be closely co-ordinated with a separate project financed by Novo
Nordisk A/S. This project aims at understanding policy and regulation of biotechnology in
connection specifically with biomedical and other non-food applications.

• A one year post as research assistant in the Department of Animal Science and Animal Health,
RVAU. This person will assist in doing research in connection with the themes of workshops and
conferences.

•Funds will also be used for other purposes  for example, to produce the newsletter, for
workshops and to organize the Second European Congress on Agricultural and Food Ethics.

Together with the project manager, the researchers funded by the project will work as a team in
order to ensure that a broad range of subjects, covering scientific, sociological and ethical aspects
of biotechnology, are covered. The initial topic will be the multifarious attempts that have been
made to apply risk assessment to the new advances in biotechnology. It will be important at the
outset to quantify the success of these efforts in the context of public and legislative values.
Scientific developments in the area of biotechnology are progressing rapidly, indeed almost
exponentially, and the group will, in collaboration with the board, attempt to include new areas
in the research as they appear.

The research results will be published as papers in relevant journals  either interdisciplinary
journals, or special issues of science journals. But there will also be a number of publications
targeted at a broader audience. Among these will be two conference reports to be published in
connection with the public meetings organised over the course of the project.
Activities funded by other sources

The senior researchers involved in the project will use part of their work time on the project. The
project manager, Professor Peter Sandøe, will devote approximately one fifth of his working
hours to the project over its four-year duration.

Finally, the development of a Ph.D. course on bioethics and consumer attitudes, aimed at Ph.D.
students doing projects within the field of food biotechnology, is envisaged. Funds for such a
course will be applied for from the Research Academy in Aarhus.

Organisation

An interdisciplinary group of senior researchers will serve on the project board:

Research Professor Peter Sandøe (Project Manager),

Director Anne Busk-Jensen
Senior Research Scientist Henrik Callesen
Professor Karin Hammer
Associate Professor Lotte Holm
Professor Andrew Jamison
Associate Professor Annette Olesen
Associate Professor Ane Bodil Søgaard

The members of the board represent a range of key disciplines and institutions. It will be the
prerogative and duty of the board to take the main decisions about the running of the project and
to ensure that good contacts with the relevant research groups working with food biotechnology
are maintained.

The board will meet at regular intervals, a minimum of four times per annum. The associate
professorship funded by the project will participate in the board meetings.

Time schedule

1/5-1999 1/1-2000 1/1-2001 1/1-2002 1/1-2003 30/4-2003

>Ass. professor.....................................................................................................<
>Assist. professor...................................<
>Scientific secretary......................................................................................................<
>Ph.D.-student, social science...................................<
>Board meeting every 4th month................................................................................<
>Workshop once a year...............................................................................................<
>International conference<
>Conference 1<
>Conference 2<
>Progress report 1< >Progress report 2<
>Final report<