National Conversations on Genetic Technologies for Environmental Purposes

To better understand what ‘suitable’ means to the public of Aotearoa New Zealand, we have engaged people in dialogic and deliberative processes to enable them to deliberate and design in groups what environmental futures might look like for specific genetic technologies in specific contexts. This research was conducted in two streams, one focussing on engagement with the general public and the other focussing on engagement with Māori to elicit specific aspirations and concerns about gene technology in a way that they self-determine. The public engagement was undertaken by social scientists at the University of Auckland and the University of Otago.

Māori engagement was undertaken by researchers at Te Tira Whakamātaki (TTW). Māori participation in modern biosecurity follows a pattern similar to other Indigenous efforts at asserting Indigenous environmental approaches. These efforts are constrained by colonial histories and ongoing systemic marginalisation, with rare moments to pursue self-determination but occasional opportunities to engage and inform wider strategies.