Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
a single company, operating the site or plant responsible, but the industry
as a whole. As if the perspective of having to suffer from bad operators
prompted each of these high-risk industries to organize their own vigi-
lance (Rees, 1994).
The fact that NGOs and anti-GMO activists have websites collect-
ing data on various incidents regarding the production of GM crops (the
Greenpeace contamination index for example) could also be a strong
motivation for the industry to organize at a more macro level to set up
its own forum of exchange and data collection, notably on unwanted and
adverse events. The growing practice of voluntary sustainability report-
ing by companies, described in this volume by Vergragt and Brown
(Chapter 8) could be an adequate vector for such cultural change.
Finally, comparing the situation of GM crop growing with “classic”
high-risk industries on one hand and the medical field on the other hand
according to the various dimensions discussed in the chapter, sheds light
on the merits of such a comparison (see Table 1).
To sum up, compared to classic high-risk industries and hospitals,
there is scant maturity regarding the human and organizational factors
issues involved in the safe and reliable management of GM agricultural
sites. Interestingly, the medical field, where failure is accepted (less and
less so) and death always possible, as opposed to the production of GM
crops, where failure would not be tolerated, is far more advanced in tak-
ing into account the crucial contribution of teamwork, communication,
and organizational dimensions in the delivery of safe care, than the GM
industry.
Hence, there is much room for improvement in the management of
hazards and risks at agricultural production sites. It could certainly ben-
efit from programs developed for other high-hazards industries. For one
thing, political pressure and public opinion will probably force corpo-
rations to initiate some actions in this direction. However, more impor-
tantly, the requirements in term of quality and safety of the end-products
(GM, as well as non-GM), and those of the plant-made pharmaceuticals
will probably compel companies to attend to these issues, because they
