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Biotechnology and Agriculture Working Group Main Page
Background Material (Vilemov 1998)

This is very much a first draft, which is offered for comment to the ECEN membership. We want to know any comments you have - whether you approve or whether you think we have got it all wrong ...

We also want more members for the working group. We know that there are many who were not part of first working group discussions in Raubichi, who would like to be involved with this issue. Join the Working Group by sending an email to the Facilitator, Donald Bruce

Summary

The main focus of this new working group is on two crucial and very topical issues raised in agriculture in Europe - how we may achieve environmentally sustainable forms agriculture, and the particular questions of genetic modification of crops and animals. We are not examining human genetics or medical applications using animals.

Our first tasks are to identify the principle issues and to draw up an information sheet for the churches. This will cover :

• theological principles and reflections about human relationships with God’s creation, genetics issues and agriculture
• the key issues about GM crops and agriculture which are important in the churches
• practical suggestions for Christians on agriculture, food and lifestyle

We present this as work in progress. It is just beginning. We welcome your insights and thoughts, your comments and practical suggestions, and your participation with us.

There are some basic principles :

0. "Nature" is God’s creation, much more than merely our environment
1. God’s creation as developing process, with possibility; it was made perfect but not complete
2. God gift to humanity of a special role in God’s creation, and of the material world in our relationship with God
3. The incarnation of Christ is God’s "yes" to the material world
4. Human sin and its effect on our role

What does this lead us to say about human intervention in general, and agriculture and genetic modification in particular? Here are some initial thoughts to offer.

0. We are co-workers under God in God’s creation
1. We may intervene, but within limits; not all we can do technically we should do morally; while we penetrate God’s creation we must respect the integrity of what God has created
2. God’s gifts in creation are more than just a resource for humanity; biodiversity is integral to what God has created, a source of praise to God

0. Science has an important role in discovering the wonders of God’s creation
1. No human intervention in creation is risk free (whether it’s GM, organic or anything else); but how precautionary should we be? There is a need for discernment
2. Without focusing on Christ our work may become so many towers of Babel
3. Priority of the poor, need to reorient the dynamics of power
4. Concern that motives of hubris, power and excessive profit disfigure what God intended
5. Concern for farmers and those in rural communities

These first thoughts will continue to be discussed through email and correspondence.

We intend to set out some of the main points concerning GM food and related issues, to help people in the churches, for whom this is a specialist area, and when they do not know who to believe among all the clamour of voices. This is an area of deep disagreement, however. There are dangers of oversimplification of what are complex issues. It is not the role of ECEN or the working group to tell people what policy they should adopt. We will wish to offer principles to consider.

We propose a number of practical suggestions, both for overall policy approaches and for what we can do in our churches and as individuals and households.

0. Need for greater emphasis in research into basic subsistence agriculture, to enable farmers simply to make a living.
1. Need for greater emphasis in research into organic and other sustainable forms of agriculture
2. Learning from the practices of agriculture in other cultures, which may be scientifically sound even if they are not scientifically based
3. Encouraging true labelling. For example, the label "produce of UK" may only mean the food was packaged in the UK, but grown elsewhere!
4. Where possible in your region, to discourage the use of imported soya bean in animal feed in favour of locally grown animal feed

0. Buy food produced in your region as far as possible.
1. If your supermarket does not have local food, ask them why not!
2. Use less processed food, use more fresh food in your cooking
3. Perhaps cut down how much meat you eat
4. Explore possibilities for growing some of your own food
5. Rediscovery of fasting to make ourselves more aware of the role of food in our lives
6. Encouraging "city - countryside" partnerships to enable city churches to appreciate the situation of rural churches and their communities
7. Encouraging local "consumer - producer" co-operatives for food

These notes have been prepared by Donald Bruce, facilitator of the working group in Raubichi. Following our first meeting in Raubichi, we will contact other delegates who have expressed interest in this group and other seek to identify active partners to collaborate on this work, and the skills and experience available. Join the Working Group by sending an email to the Facilitator, Donald Bruce

A group of church working groups and university theology departments has made a funding application to the European Commission to examine the value questions connected with risk in GM crops. If successful, this would lead to a conference for the European churches in Strasbourg in 2002. We especially wish to stimulate activity in churches in eastern and southern Europe.

This page was updated on 19 September 2003