Jank Bernhard, Rath Johannes, Gaugitsch Helmut
Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
Trends Biotechnol. 2006 May;24(5):198-200. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2006.03.001. Epub 2006 Mar 20.
Strategies and best practices for the co-existence of GM and non-GM crops need to be developed and implemented with the participation of farmers and other stakeholders. According to the principle of 'subsidiarity', decisions should be made by the lowest authority possible. When applying this concept to the case of GM crops, the affected society should determine their use and management in a regional decision-making process. Public participation is better accomplished at a lower level, and democratic deficits in decision-making on GMOs are better resolved, enabling farmers to manage or avoid GM crops. Ultimately, voluntary GMO-free zones might be a tool for sustainable co-existence and GM-free production and GMO-free zones might create a specific image for marketing regional products and services, such as tourism.
转基因作物与非转基因作物共存的策略和最佳实践需要在农民和其他利益相关者的参与下制定和实施。根据“辅助性”原则，决策应尽可能由最低层级的权威做出。将这一概念应用于转基因作物的情况时，受影响的社会应在区域决策过程中确定其使用和管理方式。公众参与在较低层级能更好地实现，转基因生物决策中的民主缺陷也能更好地得到解决，从而使农民能够管理或避开转基因作物。最终，自愿设立的无转基因生物区可能是实现可持续共存以及无转基因生产的一种手段，而且无转基因生物区可能会为区域产品和服务（如旅游业）的营销塑造特定形象。
