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The Social and Legal Implications of Genetically Modified Food

Law 651 and cross-listed

Fall 2003 - Prof. Peters

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

COURSE CONTENT: This class will search for the truth behind the rhetoric about genetically-modified food. It will be an interdisciplinary examination of the social, ethical, economic and legal issues raised by these products. (2 credit hours).

PRINCIPAL INSTRUCTOR: Philip Peters (Associate Dean and Ruth L. Hulston Professor of Law; Director, UMC Biotechnology & Society Program); Rooms 314 and 233A Hulston Hall, petersp@missouri.edu. You are welcome to visit my office at any time.

READING MATERIALS: No textbook. Reading material will be assigned as the semester progresses and will be placed in the "handout" box for this course located in the basement lobby of the Law School.

GRADES: Grades will be based 80% on the final project and 20% on substantive contribution to class discussion. Non-law students will be graded separately. Students will be given the choice of a 24-hour take-home examination or a 25 page paper.

DISABILITIES: If you have a disability and need accommodations, please notify Associate Dean Kenneth Dean or me as soon as possible. You may also contact the Access Office, A048 Brady Commons, 882-4696.

SNOW POLICY: This class is canceled whenever the Columbia public schools are closed on account of inclement weather (but not if they are closed simply because of the cold temperature).

CLASS PARTICIPATION: I expect each student to be prepared to add to the class discussion. If you are not prepared, you may give me a note before class to "exempt" yourself. Each student has 2 of these exemptions.

ATTENDANCE: A total of 2 absences are permitted without penalty. The next two absences will reduce your grade by three points for each absence. Any student who misses 5 classes will be dropped from the course.

LAW SCHOOL WRITING REQUIREMENT: Those of you who are using this class to fulfill the Law School's writing requirement must choose a topic by Sept. 11, submit an outline by Sept. 25, and submit your paper of 15-20 pages by Oct. 23. I will get them back to you with comments for a rewrite that will be due on Nov. 20^th. A grade will be assigned to each draft and the combined total will be worth 30% of your grade.

CLASS MEETINGS: Wed. 1-3:00 pm, Law School Rm. 109.

• Aug.28 Overview of the Issues: "Harvest of Fear" video
 
• Sept. 4. The Science: (Prof. Freyermuth and Polacco, Molecular biology; both hours)
• Traditional plant and animal breeding (non-GMO genetics)
• Modern genetic transfers-how are they different?
• Current and potential uses of GMO microbes, plants and animals

• Sept. 11 Intrinsic Objections to Tinkering with Nature
• [1^st hour] Ethics [Prof. Markie, Philosophy]
• [2d hour] Discussion


• Sept. 18 Food Safety: the Facts

• [1st hour] Potential risks & evidence (Science faculty)
• what we know
• what we don't know yet
• "Substantial equivalency": why the FDA believes that a gene that is not harmful in fish will not be harmful in tomatoes.
• [2d hour] Guest Speaker: Guy Clark, Organic farmer



• Sept. 25 Food Safety Session #2: Dealing with Incomplete Information & Uncertainty

• [1st hour] Can the public rationally evaluate the risks? (Prof. Lee Wilkins, Journalism and Public Policy Schools; Prof. Leonie Marks, Agricultural Economics)
• Predictable biases
• Comparative risk analysis
• The role of the media


• [2d hour] The ethics of allocating risks (Markie with Peters)
• Does it matter whether the people exposed to the risks are not the people who receive the benefits?
• Is the precautionary principle coherent?


• Oct. 2 Food Safety Session #3
• [1^st hour] Legal regulation of food safety [Peters]
• [2d hour] Discussion


• Oct. 9 Setting the Research Agenda for GM foods
• [1^st hour] Panel: Which Uses Do We Chose to Research and Why? The role of corporate and federal funding of research.
• [2d hour] Discussion


• Oct. 16 Food Labeling
• [1^st hour] The Ethics [Markie with Peters]
• [2d hour] The Task of Identity Preservation [Kalaitzandonakes]


• Oct. 23 Food labeling-Week 2
• [1^st hour] The law [Peters]
• [2d hour] Non-safety food labeling (Rural Sociology)



• Oct. 30 Environmental Safety
• [1^st hour] The facts [Science faculty]
• [2d hour] U.S. law [Peters]


• Nov. 6 Environment #2
• Guest speaker; Sierra Club

The remaining part of this syllabus is still tentative.

• Nov. 13 International Issues [possible guest speaker: Greenpeace]
• [1^st hour] World Hunger [possible MU panel]
• [2d hour] GMO's as an Anti-Globalization Issue [Profs. Peritore, Political Science; Golomb, Biology; Peters, Law; Kalaitzandonakes, AgEcon]


• Nov. 20 Patents
• [1^st hour] An overview of agricultural intellectual property law [Peters]
• [2d hour] Economic impact of patenting seeds [Kalaitzandonalkes]


• Dec. 4 Farm Issues
• [1^st hour] Impact on Farming [Kalaitzandonakes]
• [2d hour] Pollen Drift-patent and tort liability [Peters with Folk]


• Dec. 11 NO CLASS