INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO EVALUATE SOCIETAL IMPLICATIONS AND FOSTER SUSTAINABILITY OF GENETIC ENGINEERING AND NANOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

The goal of this project is to assess the societal implications of genetic engineering (GE) and nanotechnology used in food and agriculture and identify strategies to ensure their sustainable futures according to diverse stakeholder perspectives. Overall, this work supports the responsible development of GE- and nano-agrifoods and, in turn, helps contribute to more sustainable U.S. food and agriculture systems that are responsive to societal preferences and needs. This project has three primary objectives. First,Objective 1aims to assess societal implications and improve decision-making of GE- and nano-agrifood products through benefit-risk evaluations.Objective 2aims to identify strategies to ensure sustainable development and use of GE- and nano-agrifoods through multi-stakeholder engagement and exchange.Objective 3aims to develop interdisciplinary education and training opportunities to better evaluate societal implications of new and novel agrifood technologies.