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June 29, 2006
The Estonian cyberdemocratic revolution
By Waldemar Ingdahl
There is a slowly growing debate about democracy in Europe. Often this debate is initiated by the political entities themselves. The falling figures for voter turnouts at elections appear worrisome; sometimes even there is even difficulty of finding any suitable candidates for the elected positions.
The Internet has already transformed much of European society, except for politics. In politics we still have a representative parliamentarism that dates back to the early 20th century. Many citizens want a more direct, and real, influence in politics particularly in this day and age when they are getting used to interactivity.
In the early 1990's there was a debate about electronic democracy, integrating information technology in the democratic process, with quite many being positive to it. Then the debate quickly died, as e-democracy was perceived as unfeasible. The physical infrastructure, basic protocols and software services such as the World Wide Web were just being developed. The limited opportunity for access and entry of content seemed to constrict citizen interaction in the parliamentary process to either a cluttering of refenda bogging down the efficiency of the system, or to mere observation through the gradual adaptation of institutional net presence. It was feared that it would lead to an increase of populism in politics. Information technology was at best seen to support the parliamentary system, not to improve it.
Instead the EU chose to address the democratic deficit with an inclusive strategy towards representatives of civil society. Margot Wallström, the Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy, has thus expanded the role played by non-governmental organizations (NGO). But the proliferation of NGOs has not created the wanted connection to the public (as described in an article in The Economist). Many of the NGOs that the Commission and national governments consult are directly financed by government itself. Their memberships are declining, they often lack in transparency, and their involvement in governmental affairs has transformed some of them into being rent-seeking quasi-official institutions. Some have been accused of being government-organised non-governmental organizations (GONGO) where the government itself organizes special interest groups to promote its own agenda.
The problem with the inclusion of NGOs in policy making is that it did not address the fundamental reason for the lack of trust; the perceived lack of interactivity. It is participation by invitation, with the keeper of the guest list still in control of the agenda.
The EU and many national governments have confused information and participation with Public Relations, trying to build public acceptance for decisions that have already been made.
Change may come from the East though, as the debate about cyberdemocracy resurfaces, thanks to Estonia adopting e-democracy in an effort to launch a society adapted to the information age.
In 1998, Estonia created a state portal www.riik.ee linking the websites of the governmental institutions together in one place, and gives the citizens’ a collected access to nearly all official documents. Government expenditures can be followed in real-time on the Net. It offered an important foundation for establishing cyberdemocracy: full governmental transparency.
Commissioner Wallström could take a queue from www.riik.ee and her own native Sweden for inspiration on European reforms. Offentlighetsprincipen (the principle of transparency) entitles any Swedish citizen to read governmental information that is stored in official records. Anyone who wishes to have access to official documents is welcome to visit the Records Centre. Personnel are at hand to answer questions and help visitors search for and access official documents. The EU has adopted parts of this, so have some other European countries, but governments in too many European nations (like France, Italy and Greece) are still notoriously closed to citizen insight.
Still, this is only a way for citizens to get better access to what politicians and administrators have done. In itself it does not give them real power to affect political decisions in vital stages. The Estonians implemented the digitalisation with greater consistency, and proceeded on the way to cyberdemocracy.
In the year 2000 the Estonian government made all its cabinet meetings paperless through using the web. The preparation process and the proceedings of the cabinet are automatic, and as much material as possible is digital. This saves the taxpayers about €192,000 a year, improves the availability for the citizens, while reducing the need for ministers to travel as they can participate in the government’s work from any location. The work of the ministers, when they draft, make comments and remarks and vote on bills and regulations is collected on www.riik.ee.
In 2001 the website Täna Otsustan Mina ("I decide today") was created. On the TOM website the ministries upload all their draft bills and amendments, and the public can review them, comment and propose changes as well as propose amendments to existing legislation and regulation. Ideas that gain substantial support are reviewed by competent bodies. The proposals of the citizens have already had an impact, as 5% of the amendments done by citizens find their way into the legislation that is finally decided upon.
Estonians can vote electronically since 2005, do their taxes on the net and get much more personalized service from their government. That increases efficiency and gives Estonians more value for their tax money. The role of the politicians has been to provide clear and measurable goals for the reforms.
This is a qualitative step from the e-democracy that was envisioned some 15 years ago. The Estonians have applied the idea practically, not on organizing perpetual referenda, but on giving influence in the gradual process of politics to the citizens.
It might actually also turn out to decrease populism, in favour of more thought-through decisions. General elections are, in fact, too general in their nature. The issues in elections are phrased in very general ideological terms that rarely go into specific issues. In this environment it is quite easy to frame the issues in order to gain votes both from the special interest groups, by promising subsidies and benefits- while still winning the general voter by vague ideological notions, since voters often have very little knowledge of how public policies actually are made just by the sheer complexity of the government.
Cyberdemocracy does mean that politics will loose in what many perceive as "stability" and "control" but by involving the citizens in cyberdemocracy they learn more about the system, building both consent and legitimacy for decisions they have taken a more active role in. The gains made in efficiency from adopting information technology are secondary to this benefit.
The community will rip, remix and burn the concept of democracy, in line with the Internet’s development. In this, cyberdemocracy is a natural evolution. When democratic fora with real power to influence policy decisions are created, the citizens will return to commitment.
Posted by Waldemar at 11:09 AM
The Kill Malaria Mosquitoes Now campaign
Africa Fighting Malaria has started the global campaign Kill Malarial Mosquitoes NOW!
The campaign declares that:
Developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America face a terrible health and human rights crisis: 500 million of their people get malaria every year, and over 1 million die.
A principal reason is that far too many "health" organizations refuse to fund or even permit the use of pesticides, especially DDT.
and thus demands the inclusion of DDT and other insecticides, along with Artemisia-based combination therapies (ACT) in malaria control programs.
Lene Johansen and Waldemar Ingdahl from Eudoxa are among the ones that have signed the declaration.
You can do so too on their website.
Posted by Waldemar at 01:37 AM
June 28, 2006
Improving health care bit by bit
In his The Pulse article Kaizen Healthcare of June 28th, Anders Sandberg explains the success of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's 100 000 lives campaign.
How can rapid response teams radically improve health care on the basis of local fixes?
Posted by Waldemar at 04:13 PM
June 26, 2006
Live long and prosper
Anders Sandberg writes for the Persuader Issue 7, June 2006. Persuader is a magazine published by Citigate Dewe Rogerson.
In his article "Staying alive", Sandberg writes about how we are starting to doubt ageing, and instead making gains in longevity. While describing the progess of biogerontology, Sandberg also makes a case for longevity as good business and how our societal notions of the elderly may change.
Posted by Waldemar at 10:55 AM
June 22, 2006
Omnämnande i Captus Tidning
I november 2005 skrev Waldemar Ingdahl från Eudoxa tillsammans med Tomas Brandberg från Captus en debattartikel om KRAV-odlad mat. Det var många som reagerade på den och vi fick också ett svar i Nerikes Allehanda från Johanna Björklund vid Centrum för uthålligt lantbruk.
Vi hade definitivt önskat replikera på Björklund, men tillfälle gavs inte. Nu har Tomas Brandberg skrivit en artikel i Captus Tidning nummer 54, Flummiga argument för Krav-odlad mat som besvarar Björklund.
Posted by Waldemar at 06:18 PM
June 21, 2006
Climate imperialism in health care
In his The Pulse article Should doctors treat the Earth's fever? of June 21th, Anders Sandberg discusses the claim that climate change will lead to a rise in epidemics.
Posted by Waldemar at 07:24 PM
June 15, 2006
Stop taxing the medicines of the poor!
In his The Pulse article Stop Taxing the Sick of June 14th, Anders Sandberg writes about the high costs of medicines in developing countries. Due to government taxation and duities levied the prices on certain drugs rise far above the means of many poor.
Posted by Waldemar at 11:42 AM
June 14, 2006
The European Resource Bank Meeting
Dr. Anders Sandberg has been invited as a speaker on the topic Innovation and Research and Development in the European Union – Farming is no longer an option at the European Resource Bank Meeting in Vienna, Austria, held between June 29th and July 2nd.
Posted by Waldemar at 09:40 AM
June 12, 2006
Bok om den liberala bloggosfären
Timbro ger ut boken Läs mig- Bloggar 2005/2006 i urval, som innehåller inlägg från den liberala bloggosfären. Boken har redigerats av Linda Backman, Johannes Forssberg och Jonatan Fried.
I boken ingår essäerna Svenskarna borde assimileras och Internet ger konspirationsteorier problem från bloggen Techne, som drivs av tankesmedjan Eudoxas VD Waldemar Ingdahl.
Boken har recenserats i:
Posted by Waldemar at 12:02 PM
June 10, 2006
Pirate party controversy
Waldemar Ingdahl writes the article "Controversies: Pirates in Sweden" in the Stockholm Network's Know IP, volume 2, issue 5 2006.
Posted by Waldemar at 04:00 PM
June 09, 2006
Bredbandsskatten är konservativ
Waldemar Ingdahl kritiserar den 9 juni i Svenska Dagbladet, tillsammans med IT-entreprenören och ekonomen Oscar Swartz, det förslag om bredbandsskatt som lades fram av Lars Ilshammar och Jeanette Gustafsdotter.
I artikeln Skatt på fildelning är ett steg tillbaka, påpekar Ingdahl och Swartz att problemet ligger i att rättighetshavarnas företrädare och lagstiftaren inte har lyckats förklara motiven bakom upphovsrätten för allmänheten. Det problemet avhjälps inte av en skatt.
Posted by Waldemar at 10:35 AM
June 08, 2006
Anders Sandberg på TV
I Sveriges Television Kunskapskanalen sänds torsdagen den 8 juni klockan 22.30- 23.00 vetenskapsserien "Jorden- kropp, kraft och kemi".
Avsnittet handlar om hjärnan och Anders Sandberg medverkar.
I dag vet man på molekylnivå hur det går till när minnen lagras. Man kan t.o.m. plantera falska minnen i hjärnan. Kommer man i framtiden kunna konstruera virtuella hjärnor i datorn? Kommer skadade delar av hjärnan en dag att kunna ersättas med ett datachip?
Programmet sänds i repris fredagen den 9 juni klockan 19.00-19.30.
Posted by Waldemar at 11:00 PM
Tankesmedjan Eudoxa lanserar ny BBS om skadereduktion
Tankesmedjan Eudoxa vill främja debatten om folkhälsan genom att skapa ett öppet debattforum i form av en BBS
Eudoxas BBS på nätet kommer att fungera som ett globalt forum för de som är involverade eller önskar följa debatten om skadereduktion. BBS:en tillåter individer att posta information och hålla sig uppdaterade om aktuella frågor och ny forskning.
Forskare, journalister, beslutsfattare och allmänheten kan använda denna nya resurs och delta i den globala debatten genom att besöka siten
Skadereduktion är en tankeriktning inom folkhälsan som är tänkt som ett framåtblickande alternativ till förbud. Centralt är att skadereduktion erkänner att vissa alltid har och alltid kommer att vara involverade i riskbeteenden. I Sverige har frågan om skadereduktion diskuterats kring användningen av tobak, i form av snus som ersättning för cigaretter.
Eudoxa har mottagit en villkorslös donation från International Smokeless Tobacco Company, Inc., ett dotterbolag till U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, för att kunna driva BBS- projektet. BBS:ens neutralitet upprätthålls av redaktören, Dr. Anders Sandberg, som kan kontaktas via BBS:en eller på anders.sandberg@eudoxa.se
Om Eudoxa
Eudoxa (www.eudoxa.se) är en oberoende, liberal tankesmedja i Stockholm som arbetar med att debattera naturvetenskap, teknik och samhälle.
Anders Sandberg är forskningschef vid Eudoxa, med en bakgrund datavetenskap och psykologi vid Stockholms universitet och han doktorerade på artificiella neurala nätverk vid KTH. Han är nu postdoctoral research assistant vid Oxford University ENHANCE Project and Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics. Sandberg har ett brett internationellt nätverk och kombinerar sin kunskap i naturvetenskaperna med ett aktivt samhällsengagemang.
Posted by Waldemar at 11:45 AM
June 07, 2006
Withstanding the trends
In his The Pulse article That Cantankerous Centenarian of June 7th, Anders Sandberg writes about how pharmaceutical fads come and go, meta-analyses are challenged but aspirin remains.
Posted by Waldemar at 12:10 PM
June 06, 2006
Bullet-proof monks and Richard Florida- a solution for Europe?
By Alexander Sanchez
Anticipation ran high when one of todays most sought after speakers, Richard Florida of Carnegie Mellon, was invited to an event held in Stockholm’s City Hall, were the Nobel Prize dinner is held once a year for the prize-winners.
Everyone important in Stockholm was invited to listen to Florida’s speech. This was going to be the big show for the ruling social democrats in the city of Stockholm whom were going too take the credit for Florida’s praise of the city. Surrounded by meditating Buddhist monks on television screens, the guru-like Florida delivered a speech that is one of the most interesting I have heard for many years.
My curiosity was piqued when I learnt that Sweden is ranked as the most creative and open societies in the world in his recent book "The Flight of the Creative Class". The ranking made me wonder about creativity’s role in Europe and the connection to the centralized managerial tradition that has characterized Sweden. The question is why are Florida’s ideas so popular here?
The paradox is that Sweden becomes the good example in Florida’s book of how creativity should be handled. I have always had the notion that Sweden has many problems with promoting creativity and personal liberty.
Talk to any native Swede and he starts complaining of Sweden’s high taxation that actually inhibits creativity and entrepreneurship. This is of course not the only problem in Sweden; the integration of many of our immigrants is a big issue with unemployment for immigrants as the highest in the OECD. It is a problem for the whole of Europe.
Florida gave the example of one successful story in the new creative economy in the making of the “Lord of the Rings� trilogy by Peter Jackson. The New Zeeland born director worked very hard on his dream of making Tolkien’s fantasy books to film. To achieve this dream he realised that he needed both talented and creative people in his hometown Wellington. He realised that he needed to lure a lot of talented people to the far side of the world. The main idea that he realised has both to do with the opportunity to meet likeminded and good working environments. This was the winning combination. It is said that New Zeeland missed the latest world economic recession thanks to this movie project.
What Jackson realised and Florida writes about is that the new competition of global talent is going to be the new reality in the post-industrial world and even the U.S. is going to have its fair portion of this new reality. This is what Florida calls the greatest economic paradigm shift in all human economic history, the shift from the agricultural economy to the industrial economy under the late 18th century was nothing compared to this development.
Sweden had by the turn of the 20th century about 50 percent of its population in the agricultural sector. There was less than 5 percent of the whole population involved in the creative area of the economy. About one hundred years later the numbers are 22.93 percent of the whole workforce, with less than 2 percent involved in agriculture. Many countries had have the same development and we are going to see a great shift to see more and more of the workforce going in the same direction.
The winners in this economic reality are the societies that are open, tolerant and diverse.
All of the creative people that used to be in the old days the bohemians, artists and gays are now seeing their old domains taken over by the virtual creative artist which manly working with the flexibility of computers. Where this development is going is very hard to predict. One thing is clear: the virtual economy is here to stay and the old industrial workplace is going to be marginalised.
Social conservatives (including the ruling social democrats of Sweden) are scared to death by this development. When social conservatives are seeing in which direction their old liberal allies are developing, and that their powerbase is eroding we are going to see a backlash.
Florida gives the examples of how the U.S. post 9/11 has lost many opportunities for the race for creative people, but Europe is not any better handling the same issues. The old notions of nationality, gender and race, notions so dear to social conservatives, are crumbling. A excluding notion of nationality is not the winning strategy. We can only see what happened in France recently and right now many young people see they have no future in a society that is too static. The same feelings exist also in Swedish youth.
The other big challenge is how to make every job more creative. A workplace that gives people the right challenges in their lives. It is nothing new that the average industrial job is not that challenging for their workforce. If we are able to make even these jobs more creative we are going to have more opportunities for many more people in the future. In the long run creativity does not care about borders, and the hopeful message that Florida gives us is the winning types of societies are open, tolerant and diverse societies. Sweden may be number one on his list but we have a long way to go before Florida’s vision is realised here.
Posted by Waldemar at 12:55 PM
June 05, 2006
The Eudoxa think tank launches Bulletin Board on harm reduction
The Eudoxa think tank proudly launches its latest campaign focused on health care reform through the creation of an electronic Bulletin Board.
The Eudoxa Bulletin Board will function as a communications forum for individuals who are involved with or are closely following the global issue of Tobacco Harm Reduction. The Bulletin Board allows individuals to post information and stay informed regarding current issues and new research.
The scientific community, journalists, and the general public are encouraged to utilize this new resource to observe and/or join in this global debate by visiting:
Harm Reduction is a public health philosophy intended to be a progressive alternative to the prohibition of lifestyle choices. The central idea of harm reduction is the recognition that some people always have and always will engage in behaviors which carry risks, like the use of tobacco. Harm Reduction is intended to mitigate the potential harms associated with tobacco use without prohibiting the use of related products.
Eudoxa is the recipient of an unrestricted gift from International Smokeless Tobacco Company, Inc., an affiliate of U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, for support of this tobacco harm reduction electronic bulletin board project. The project itself is moderated by Eudoxa's Dr. Anders Sandberg who can be contacted via the Bulletin Board or at: anders.sandberg@eudoxa.se
More information on Eudoxa
Eudoxa, http://www.eudoxa.se, is a globally-focused think tank based in Stockholm, Sweden. The main focus of Eudoxa is explaining the cultural impact of emerging technologies integrating our policy analysis with classical free-market ideas and dynamist thoughts of experimentation, innovation and decentralization.
Dr. Sandberg's, Science Director at Eudoxa, background is in Computer Science and Psychology from the Stockholm University and he completed his doctoral thesis on Artificial Neural Networks at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. He has a widespread international network and extensive experience as a writer and lecturer both in Sweden and abroad. Being the true Renaissance man that he is, he combines his knowledge on natural sciences with liberal arts in order to explain emerging technologies and the resulting consequences.
Posted by Waldemar at 08:00 AM
June 04, 2006
WHO borde berätta sanningen om skadereduktion
Brad Rodu är professor vid University of Louisville i USA och forskar kring tobak och skadereduktion. Artikeln har översatts till svenska av Waldemar Ingdahl vid Eudoxa.
Den 31 maj anordnar världshälsoorganisationen WHO den Tobaksfria dagen. Den började för 20 år sedan för att uppmärksamma rökningens faror. I år visar temat "Tobacco: Deadly in any form or disguise" ("Tobak: dödlig i varje form eller förklädnad") att WHO och EU inte tar dessa faror på allvar i sin politik. Temat innefattar ett angrepp på rökfri tobak och snus, och hävdar felaktigt att dessa produkter erbjuder "en illusion av säkerhet" och "inte har noggrant testats i studier på människor". Angreppet är ovetenskapligt, obefogat, osant och kanske även oetiskt då det erbjuder en "illusion" av fara.
Rökfri tobak har studerats i 50 år i USA och Sverige och har dokumenterats att vara till 98% säkrare än rökning. Rökare lever i medeltal 8 år kortare än de som aldrig nyttjat tobak, men snusare förlorar bara 8 dagar i medellivsslängd. Statiskt sett löper snusare samma risk att dö som bilförare.
Brittiska Royal College of Physicians, ett av världens mest prestigefyllda läkarsällskap anser att "som ett sätt att använda nikotin, är konsumtionen av rökfri tobak i ordningen av 10- 1000 gånger mindre skadligt än rökning, beroende på produkten". De tillstod även att vissa tobakstillverkare kan vilja marknadsföra sina produkter som ett skadereduktionsalternativ och kan då finna stöd för det i folkhälsoforskningen.
Data från Sverige visar att snus lätt kan ersätta rökning. I 50 år har svenska män genomgående haft de lägsta rökartalen och den högsta konsumtionen av rökfri tobak i Europa. Resultatet är att WHO:s egen statistik visar att svenska män har de lägsta nivåerna av lungcancer bland 20 europeiska länder. Snus har även minskat rökningen bland kvinnor, då moderna produkter kan användas diskret.
Att temat för Tobaksfria dagen är problematiskt i Sverige visas av att man här översatt det med det mer neutrala "Tobak i alla former skadar hälsa och miljö" då det ursprungliga engelska namnet kan ge ett intryck av att man anser att det är lika farligt att snusa som att röka
Miljontals rökare i EU behöver rökfria tobaksvaror, då över 600 000 dödsfall kan tillskrivas rökningen varje år. Det visar att "sluta-röka" kampanjerna, som använder ineffektiva beteendeterapier och otillräckliga nikotinersättningar är lika framgångslösa i Europa som överallt annars.
EU- initiativet www.help-eu.com ger dessa "tips för nödfall": "koncentrera dig på ett angenämt ämne", "håll fingrarna sysselsatta", "ta några steg" och "lek med en penna". Det är verkningslösa råd för de flesta rökare. Dyra och otillfredsställande nikotintuggummin och plåster är inte heller framgångsrika. En forskningsrapport visade att de hjälper bara 7 av 100 rökare som provar dem. Alla andra mediciner med en framgångsfrekvens på bara 7% kallas misslyckanden.
Nikotin är kraftigt beroendeframkallande, men är inte orsaken till att rökare dör. Nikotin är lika säkert som koffein, en annan beroendeframkallande drog som är vanlig i Europa. Rökfri tobak ger tillfredsställande doser av nikotin, utan förbränning, vilket gör att man kan eliminera riskerna nästan helt och hållet.
WHO borde veta bättre då man anammat skadereduktionsstrategier för sexuellt överförda sjukdomar och narkotika. Europakommissionen borde göra bättre ifrån sig. Dess vetenskapliga kommitté har fått i uppdrag att granska den vetenskapliga grunden för förbudet mot snus i EU (från vilket Sverige har ett undantag). Efter att ha granskat forskningen kring hälsoeffekterna av snus kommer kommittén troligen att instämma i en rapport från Europas främsta tobaksforskare år 2003 "...rökfri tobak är substansiellt mindre skadligt än rökning... det är fel att neka andra europeer detta alternativ till riskreduktion... folkhälsosamfundet har en moralisk skyldighet att utforska denna strategi."
Livet för 12 miljoner rökare står på spel de närmaste 20 åren. Vi måste berätta sanningen för dem om rökfri tobak och skadereduktion, och EU måste ta bort förbudet som nekar andra europeer den svenska lösningen.
Posted by Waldemar at 12:05 PM
June 02, 2006
Reportage om RFID i Vetenskapsradion
Vetenskapsradions Veckomagasin den 2 juni klockan 13.20, innehöll ett längre reportage om seminariet om RFID- tekniken som tankesmedjan Eudoxa anordnade. Där finns en längre intervju med Anders Sandberg om hans rapport Den hänsynsfulla taggen.
Vetenskapsradions Veckomagasin sänds i repris söndagen den 4 juni, klockan 08.05 i kanal P1.
Posted by Waldemar at 03:00 PM
Intervju för Vetenskapsradion om RFID
Anders Sandberg intervjuades av Sveriges Radios Vetenskapsradion på Eudoxas seminarium om RFID- tekniken om sin rapport Den hänsynsfulla taggen. Även IT-strategen Pär Ström, som debatterade med Sandberg på seminariet intervjuades.
Läs mer om inslaget på Vetenskapsradions hemsida
Programmet sänds på P1 fredagen den 2 juni klockan 06.33, 07.36 och 08.37
Posted by Waldemar at 06:43 AM
June 01, 2006
Fatta rätt beslut om GMO
Av Waldemar Ingdahl
I Borås Tidning 27/5 angriper Jan-Erik Necander Swedish Meats, dels för att de inte ser en efterfrågan på ekologiskt kött och för att de har ändrat sin linje angående import av genmodifierade sojabönor till djurfoder. Necanders ståndpunkt är att Swedish Meats borde hålla fast att inte ge konsumenterna alternativet att välja GMO av rent ideologiska skäl. Men marknaderna för ekologisk mat och mat utan GMO har inte vuxit, trots bidragen. När nu viktiga foderproducenter som Brasilien tillåter GMO, blir det för svårt att att inte importera därifrån.
Necander anser att genmodifierade växter är smaklösa. Är det avgörande om egenskaperna i slutprodukten har förändrats, eller ser man bara till framställningsmetoden? I det första fallet så bedömer man fördelar och nackdelar med GMO, i det andra fördömmer man gentekniken i sig. Hans subjektiva bedömning bör respekteras, men man bör även respektera de konsumenter som inte sätter värde på att maten skall framställas efter konventionella metoder. I nuläget är det inte så, särskilt med de fördyrande märkningar och spårningar som föreslås av EU.
Forskningen har visat att attityder och verkliga inköp inte är lika. När konsumenter själva får välja, spelar det inte roll om varan är märkt eller inte, det avgörande är nyttan. Därför kan jag hålla med Necander om att det är olyckligt att Swedish Meats väljer att öppna upp för sojan. GMO har åtnjutit allmänhetens acceptans först när det funnits synliga fördelar för konsumenten. Det stora misstaget i introduktionen av GMO var att satsa primärt på grödor som var lönsamma för producenterna men inte uppfattades ge direkt nytta till konsumenterna. Därför borde introduktionen av GMO i Sverige följas av en ordentlig positionering till varför man antar denna viktiga teknik, och tydligt visa de många fördelarna. Det är en viktig punkt som LRF:s stämma i Piteå kan ta upp i dagarna.
Posted by Waldemar at 10:15 PM