scientific support for effective policy development ... · 2 scientific support for effective...
TRANSCRIPT
Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
Sir Mark Walport Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government
2 Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
• Health, wellbeing, security &
resilience
• Knowledge translated to economic
advantage
• The right science for emergencies
• Underpinning policy with evidence
• Advocacy and leadership for
science
Government Chief Scientific Adviser
Innovation has got us where we are
• Widespread electrification
• Improvements in healthcare
• Mass production systems
• Better transport links
3 Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
4
• Global population growth -
forecast to be over 9
billion by 20501
• Climate change, extreme
weather and water
scarcity all threaten food
security
• Over-consumption and
waste exacerbate issues
Food Gap: WRI analysis based on Alexandratos, N., and J. Bruinsma. 2012.
World agriculture towards 2030/2050: The 2012 revision. Rome: FAO
The increase in food
calories produced
needed by 2050 69%
2006
2050
Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
Innovation is needed where
we are going
5
What might we do?
Technological solutions
• Plant biotechnology (including GM
organisms)
• Animal biotechnology (including
cloning and artificial insemination)
• Precision agriculture
• Lab-produced meat
• Insects as protein
Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
6 Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
Reducing personal consumption
and impact through:
• Eating less meat
• Choosing to eat sustainably
Reducing food waste through:
• Improved packaging
• Smaller pack sizes
What might we do?
Behavioural solutions
GCSA risk themed annual report
• Risk is all-pervasive in work as
GCSA
• Innovation is necessary to deal
with global challenges
• Innovation is too often held back
by poorly framed discussions
about risk
• If governance of risk goes wrong,
we potentially miss out on major
benefits, or suffer needlessly
7 Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
8 Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
Food is inherently cultural:
Science meets values
• Hazard
• Exposure
• Vulnerability
• Risk
• Uncertainty
Hazard and risk
Philippe Guillaume 9 Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
Science and values
1) High level of acceptance but who pays?
10 Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
Science and values
2) Science meets values
11 Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
GMOs
• What organism?
• What gene?
• What purpose?
• The specific application
– not the generic technology
Risk discussions require specificity
12 Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
Science and values
3) Your benefit, my risk
13 Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
Science and values
4) Unintended consequences
14 Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
Holding a wider conversation
about risk
• Risk – a societal issue
• Language
• Values and lenses
• Who benefits and who
carries the risk
• Transparency
• Widening the conversation
is a democratic necessity
15 Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
What can science contribute?
16 Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
Regulatory challenges
• Economic regulation – A
systems approach
• Asymmetric incentives
• Encrusted regulation
• Regulation when science
meets values
17 Innovation: Managing Risk, Not Avoiding It, 17th March 2015
18 Scientific Support for Effective Policy Development: Putting it in Practice
We all have a part to play
Government
Scientists
Farmers
Retailers Consumers
Widening the conversation is a democratic necessity:
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission for the use of copyright material. We apologise for any errors or omissions in the included attributions and would be grateful if notified of any corrections that should be incorporated in future versions of this slide set. We can be contacted through [email protected] .
@uksciencechief
www.bis.gov.uk/go-science