Interview
of Beatrice PellegriniInterview
of Beatrice Pellegrini
Our analysis and commentary
We did it by themes.
Politics
The genetic engineering concerns the politic in three points.
First the genetic manipulations bring stakes society which bring the
citizens to choose between different inovative technics. Besides,
it's necessary to see that some commercial interests draw
themself behind the sale of transgenic seeds. Third, the swiss people
had already the choice to vote on the topic at various
resumptions.
The journalist that everybody can vote without precise
scientific knowledge. Indeed the arguments of the political debate
are relative to the economy and the society. Finally, this kind of
vote is interesting with the point of view of the scientific culture
diffusion, because it forces citizens to acquire some precise
knowledges.
Laws and controls
Laws that regulate the genetic engineering are under writing.
According to Mrs. Pellegrini, commissions of specialists are quite
capable to their task, to know to help the federal deputies to write
laws,; besides objectors as partisans are represented paritairements.
On the other hand, the problem is to find a legislation that reflects
the diversity of the technology and his/her/its applications ".
indeed, some plants can be interesting but others are very dangerous,
it is why " it is necessary to reason to the case by case " in view
to compose these texts.
But the national parliament is in measure to vote these laws in
spite of the help of scientists? - Was the Swiss people competent to
vote the initiative? ... It is not necessary to belittle the
citizen to someone of incompetent, bus otherwise the decision comes
back to people small group that can manipulate maybe.
These laws are respected in part. One doesn't discover
appropriate in illegal OGM field, because malefactors would risk very
thick whereas a lot of things are already permitted. However, foods
containing some OGMS are not sometimes labeled consequently. Indeed,
some processes " cut up the DNA like that happens in our stomach ",
and the added genes are not more detectable. He/it appears
interesting to mention the parallel with subjects of Guy-Olivier
Segond, that pretends that such a fraud will be discovered " two or
three days after his/her/its stake on the market ".
Agrobusiness
Societies that interest himself to the agrobusiness are very
often the multinational. According to the searcher, these last
respect laws in Switzerland, as in the other countries. But by their
definition of multinational, they become implanted in countries where
the legislation is very laxiste.
Besides, we surrender very account that lesdites agroalimentary
boxes make the untrue advertisement when they speak about saving the
humanity of the hunger. But this advantage put is forward
scientifically possible, and B. Pellegrini shows good that their goal
is by lucrative définiton: [Them] have shareholders
behind them for that: [them] must win money ".
Consumers and their security
Consumers have fears facing the genetic egineering, which are not
allways justified. We often think that when we eat foods decended of
GMO's, our own genetic inheritance can alter. To this
questionning, Mrs. Pellegrini precises that they're purposes
which we must make endavours to deny them, because, scientifically
talking, « the fact to add a gene is not a problem, it's
the product of the gene that we had which ask problems. We must ask
hitself the question case by case, according to what product is
synthesized by a gene. » The DNA is a very important
element of our body and unfortunately very bad known : it's at
the bases of these questions. »
For the consumers' security in Switzerland, it's
difficult to protect them in deed the system of direct
democraty allowd the swiss citizens to refuse the initiative of the
7th June, which notably aimed to their security. But the committee of
initiative « is a little himself coup of assensments by topic
means » while playing the map of the mixture of the very various
application of the genetic eginning. After this initiative, we can
yet look to securize the consummer facing the technologie by the
discussion, by the media debate. After the writing of laws, « it
will be necessary that the concerned surounding remobilize themself.
». If the States is in this case not impotent to securize the
consumers, the associations of consumers detains a not negligeable
power, as well as the big agrofood companies like the Coop or the
Migros, which « haven't got reasons to oppose to the
GMO's, but which will brake [the arrival of the genetic
egeeniring in the feeding] so much that the consumer will brake
».
Medias and the genetic engineering
Manipulations represent a topic whose medias treated a lot, at
the time of vote especially in june 1998. The role of the « good
journalist very zealous is to inform » But, while the debate
arround the votation even the journalist were obliged to take parti.
Medias have relatively leaned out the discussion, while using at the
end of the campaign « an emotional register [...] a
little bit exaggerated ».
Ethical and future
According to Béatrice Pellegrini, the problems of ethic
have an uncertain future. In the next year, « the quality of
life will have a lot of important, but will we have enough money to
offer ourself the Bio fashion ? ». It remains a question that
only the future will be able to solve. These questions of ethic go
therefore rather to continue to influence the consumers. In a more
general point of view, the journalist thinks that during the next ten
years, researchers are going to make immensely evolue the genetic
engineering, even through some massive opposition voices appear. The
genetic engineering really became the technology of the next
century.
Finally, Mrs. Pellegrini separates her personal position of her
professional position on the genetic engineering. Personally, it is
not necessary to make confidence eyes closed to the agroalimentary.
Then, if applications of the genetic engineering can be beneficial,
this is not the direction that one takes at the moment. On the plane
professionelle, she tempts to be objective while presenting opposite
side arguments, as in the supplement of the Hebdo of which she/it
wrote the major part; « but we will never make it of way neutral
complétement. And it is so much the better ».
As for our personal opinion and our impressions on the
interview, we think that Mrs. Pellegrini, to the picture of her
supplement, made proof of a relative objectivity in most her answers.
Our opinion agrees with this subjects. This interview was very
pleasant, because a real discussion to out of date the simple process
question-answer. One realizes that a scientific opinion permits to
take off some relative doubts to what is biologically possible: for
example, of forecastings for the future that prove to be impossible.
A scientific opinion mingled to a journalistic mind has admirabely
brought to findings that hold really account of all domains of the
genetic engineering.