Control

The current practice of biotechnology research and development is based on the cultural assumption that control over natural processes is both appropriate and desirable. The biotechnology industry, by and large, addresses the symptoms, rather than the causes, of narrowly defined problems.

Ownership

The practice of genetic engineering by industry (and, increasingly, universities) presumes the practical, legal and ethical ability to commodify and own life forms and processes by means of intellectual property rights in various forms, such as patents. It involves reducing life to its smallest components, patenting whatever might be claimed as novel, then marketing those pieces, and related processes, for private and/or commercial gain. This may include traditional seeds and herbal remedies, and in the case of the Human Genome Project and the Human Genome Diversity Project, human body parts and genetic material. Our opposition to the commodification of life leads us to the rejection of all forms of intellectual property rights over life forms and life processes.

Consequences

Genetic engineering is an invasive process, relying on forced biological/genetic alteration; it presents a host of serious and ill-defined consequences for all life forms and eco-systems. Unlike traditional seed selection or animal breeding, the effect, if not the intent, of genetic engineering is eugenic, since it involves choosing and valuing one life-form over another. The results of these choices are often irreversible because genetic diversity, life-forms and ecosystems are frequently eliminated or severely debilitated in the process of engineering alternatives and 'improvements'. In the absence of any mechanism for public determination of and authority over this process, such decisions are made privately by technicians and their corporate sponsors.

Public Policy

C-BAN advocates an alternative philosophical and practical approach: an approach in which the public determines the nature and direction of technological development, and in which commercial interests are neither an acceptable definition of need, nor a justification for the manipulation of life. Recognizing the novelty and power of biotechnology, C-BAN calls for a comprehensive regulatory regime for the processes and products of biotechnology under the jurisdiction of an independent regulatory agency within the federal government.

Expertise

C-BAN recognizes the validity of experiential knowledge. Contrary to industry proclamations, people have a variety of ways of knowing what is good -- or bad -- for them and for society, and they can understand the issues and their significance without being a certified expert. We insist that the issues surrounding biotechnology be subjected to a critical analysis in ordinary language, not 'scientific' jargon.

Real Choices

C-BAN recognizes the validity of experiential knowledge. Contrary to industry proclamations, people have a variety of ways of knowing what is good -- or bad -- for them and for society, and they can understand the issues and their significance without being a certified expert. We insist that the issues surrounding biotechnology be subjected to a critical analysis in ordinary language, not 'scientific' jargon.

Alternatives

The unknown and unknowable long-term, cumulative risks of biotechnology must be acknowledged. The current direction of biotechnology is not inevitable and must be changed. Different decisions can result in different technologies -- and alternatives.