Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
possibilities (pollen tunnel for example), and the capability to destroy
small experimental crops in case of a problem. At the time, studying
pollen flows had not been seen as a priority. Suddenly, market autho-
rization had to be granted and along came biovigilance as a new and
inescapable pillar in the safety assessment. Yet, “classical” safety barriers
used in other high-risk industries are not at all perceived as a reference
model. There is no connection between the two worlds: contamination
(of radioactive materials for example) and dissemination (adventitious
presence of GM seeds in conventional crops) do not compare. Be that
as it may, such a far-reaching comparison is worth drawing, as the work-
shop that spawned this volume shown. What could serve as reasonable
safety options for the production of GM crops, given the safety toolbox
available?
Opening the “Classic” Safety Science Toolkit
ClassicBarriers
The dissemination issue raises a well-known safety problem, revolving
around buffers and system barriers. The truth is that providing for an
efficient strategy against wind blowing and bees is probably much more
complex than containing the activities of a high-risk technology.
In other high-risk industries where the dissemination issue is criti-
cal, being directly related to radiological contamination, chemical spills,
or toxic effluents, the thinking is further advanced. Along with “safety
zones” or “exclusion zones,” the notion of “defense-in-depth” com-
bines several types of barriers. At first, “defense-in-depth,” historically
from the nuclear industry, was almost exclusively seen as technologi-
cal in nature.
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Now it is understood as a much more complex notion,
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In the case of nuclear power plants, as a first barrier the nuclear materials are encapsu-
lated in zirconium metallic tubes, the reactor has a stainless steel envelop, and thirdly;
massive concrete walls protect the whole machine. That arrangement makes for the
historical “defense-in-depth” of the nuclear industry.
