Reproductive and Genetic Bio Technologies: Taking up the challenge
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Reproductive and Genetic Bio Technologies: Taking up the challenge
MARSHA J. TYSON DARLING
ABSTRACT Marsha J. Tyson Darling reflects on the issues she explored in her plenary commentary at the AWID Forum. She brings to the fore the unprecedented challenges posed by the emergence of rapidly developing and largely unregulated new reproductive and genetic biotechnologies. KEYWORDS genetics revolution; nanotechnologies; choice; public goods; accountability; femicide
Introduction What are the changes occurring around us that we as feminist participants in social development, and as agents of social justice, must now more fully understand and act on? What is it ^ admist the many challenges to women’s rights, human rights, and global expressions of democracy ^ emerging around us, that requires that we all become more attentive, informed and pro-actively engaged? It is, quite simply stated, the unprecedented challenges posed by the emergence of rapidly developing and largely unregulated new reproductive and genetic biotechnologies. The unparalleled emerging genetics revolution, is a revolution, whose genie, now out of the bottle, is hurling itself at our bodies, our DNA, and at all of the genetic materials of all living matter in our ecosystem, at an alarming pace. And, as with all other technological transformations, this one requires that we undertake to comprehend the scale on which science and technology will transform social development. Why? Because unlike the technological transformations that have preceded this moment in our social development, namely: the invention of the steam engine, the conversion of water into electrical power, the first flicker of the illuminescent light bulb, our marvel at the tiny transistor that transformed electronics, the creation of the tiny computer chip that has transformed information technology and everyday life in many places on Earth, and our mastery of the dynamics of physics sufficient to explore outer space, our genes are at the centre of this technological transformation ^ a genetics revolution that is all around us.
Biotech industry reaching within us Unlike all of the previous technological revolutions that were external to our bodies, and that transformed social relations and much of social development, the genetics Development (2006) 49(1), 18–22. doi:10.1057/palgrave.development.1100236
Darling: Reproductive and Genetic Bio Technologies revolution is not external to our bodies, the biotech industry seeks to use our tissues, cells and DNA as raw materials for emerging industrial processes envisioned as the next phase of capital intensive development. For the genetics revolution to transform DNA tissues and materials into manufacturing commodities, scientists and corporations must establish proprietary ownership of DNA and privatize its genetic information and processes. The political and regulatory struggle over ownership of DNA (our collective knowledge commons), and hence, the future of biodiversity as we know it (what some in civil society are refe
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