Memorandum submitted by the Food Ethics
Council
We welcome the Select Committee's decision to
examine the science capability of Defra and its agencies. While
Defra seems to have responded positively to the results of its
own past consultations into Defra science, evidence and innovation,
we support the need for an external review by EFRA.
Three areas which we would be pleased to see form
part of EFRA's inquiry are as follows:
— Public engagement—Defra
appears to be aware of the need for greater public engagement
in its science and science policy, a need which we identified
in our response to DEFRA's 2004 consultation on its Evidence
and innovation report (http://www.foodethicscouncil.org/files/DEFRAevidenceandinnovation10-04.pdf)
and which we further outlined in our report Just Knowledge?
(http://www.foodethicscouncil.org/files/justknowledge.pdf). We
are now curious how effectively Defra is engaging the public and
stakeholders in practice, whatever the department aspires to do
on paper.
— Sustainable food and farming—The
April 2005 report of the Agriculture and Biotechnology Commission
(What shapes the research agenda? http://www.aebc.gov.uk/aebc/subgroups/ra_analysis_of_responses.pdf)
argues that sustainability should be a stronger driver of agricultural
research. Has Defra acted on this sound advice, which is more
important than ever in the face of current concerns over food
security?
— Scientific advice—Defra's
efforts to improve its use of scientific advice and the operation
of its advisory committees are, in many respects, examples of
good practice to other government departments (see Demos's report
The received wisdom http://www.demos.co.uk/files/receivedwisdom.pdf).
However, Defra's executive agencies, notably the Veterinary Medicines
Directorate, do not appear to be keeping pace (eg http://www.foodethicscouncil.org/files/VPChormones.pdf).
Is the use of science in such agencies overdue for an overhaul?
March 2008
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