Ideology

The third and final facet of TAI— Technology, Appropriation, Ideology— refers to the discursive constructs that may prompt social actors to support or oppose the research, production and/ or distribution of GMOs. As mentioned in Chapter 4, ideology can be witnessed in the discourse of broad and abstract interpretative nature, but can also be discerned in notions that appear to be precise referential statements. It would very interesting to explore the connotations and significance attached to two concepts couched in the two extremes of the ideological spectrum: one notion seemingly being a technical term, and the other being a “mundane” word of everyday usage. By doing so, a very rich and vivid undercurrent of interests, beliefs, (convenient) interpretations, position- practices and more may be revealed flowing under discursive elements that either appear to be technical terms or are used in a supposedly consensual frame.

In this chapter, I focus on two notions that appear to play a central role in the GMO debate. The first refers to the ways the concept of nature is construed, while the second refers to the notion of the precautionary principle. These two concepts appear in the GMO debate in very different ways. While the concept of the term nature is by definition involved in the discussion of GMOs as the technology itself is all about modifying the genetic material of organisms that exist in nature, the significance attached to it is quite often implied and the various connotations of nature need further elaboration in order to be fully understood. On the other hand, while the precautionary principle is part and parcel of the GM debate, it is a highly contentious concept that often appears in discussions as if it is a scientific issue while, in reality, it is an ideological construct subject to contrasting interpretations.

It is hoped that by the end of this chapter the importance and interconnectedness of these two notions will have become clear. They are both key moments in the discursive orientation to GM, and the stance that one takes regarding the “nature of Nature” has a significant effect on the attitude to the precautionary principle. As the exploration of these two notions unfolds, some of the actors, decisions and position- practices discussed in the previous chapter make their appearances once again, though under a different light.