scientific support for effective policy development: putting it in practice

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


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


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


http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http://pixabay.com/en/photos/scientist/&ei=ECwtVZaEDMixabTegYAK&bvm=bv.90790515,d.d2s&psig=AFQjCNFuy_64IKqrzhAaO-IcLPazk6ONJw&ust=1429110129081333


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



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?


Science and values

2) Science meets values


GMOs

• What organism?

• What gene?

• What purpose?

• The specific application

– not the generic technology

Risk discussions require specificity


Science and values

3) Your benefit, my risk


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SolarPowerPlantSerpa.jpg

Science and values

4) Unintended consequences


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


What can science contribute?


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


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