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Can biotechnology be justified in ethical terms?
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Is it not unnatural to modify living organisms genetically?
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Technically speaking, can biotechnology really be controlled?
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Genetic engineering is a new scientific discipline. How can long-term risks be assessed?
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How does BASF perceive its responsibility to inform the general public about biotechnology?
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Should genetically modified food be labeled?
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Can biotechnology be justified in ethical terms?
A difficult question of this kind cannot be answered simply with "yes" or "no". It always depends on the specific application and its social effect. While we reject interventions in human gametes for ethical reasons, we would consider it to be wrong—again for ethical reasons—to renounce the development of plants that could grow in more arid areas.
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Is it not unnatural to modify living organisms genetically?
"Natural" does not mean "static" or "immutable" Nature has always evolved and developed further, as Charles Darwin was the first to describe in his evolutionary theory. But human beings themselves have also always intervened in and modified nature. The plants and their fruits that we eat today—apples, cereals, etc.—hardly have anything in common now with their relatives growing in the wilds. While these changes occurred slowly, with difficulty and by chance, genetic engineering today helps us to make modifications in a specifically targeted manner.
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Technically speaking, can biotechnology really be controlled?
Safety and the protection of health and the environment are top priorities at BASF. BASF has decades of experience in the risk management of new technologies. In this connection, we carefully and comprehensively assess possible risks and take appropriate safety measures.
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Genetic engineering is a new scientific discipline. How can long-term risks be assessed?
Assessing various risks is an extremely important part of the technology management that we have operated successfully at BASF for decades. In research and development, we only work in areas where we are convinced that the products which have been developed are safe for people and the environment.
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How does BASF perceive its responsibility to inform the general public about biotechnology?
We take the concerns about biotechnology that have been expressed in the general public seriously. We will do everything we can to provide answers to the many questions and to seek a dialogue with the general public. We promote information and discussion events on a large scale. An example of this is the Xplore laboratory for school children in Ludwigshafen. In this manner we are pursing a concept which has already received positive feedback in the field of medical genetic engineering.
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Should genetically modified food be labeled?
BASF is in favor of clear product information about genetically modified food to provide consumers with an adequate basis for making purchase decisions. Additional transparency is clearly necessary on this issue. The labeling of such products must be understandable and provide useful information.
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