Sarah-Louise Quinnell
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Contact Details
Department of Geography
King's College London
Strand
London
WC2R 2LS
Email: sarah-louise.quinnell@kcl.ac.uk
King's College London
Strand
London
WC2R 2LS
Email: sarah-louise.quinnell@kcl.ac.uk
Research
Biotechnology, Science and Africa in the International Biosafety Regime
The global governance of modern biotechnology, particularly agri-biotechnology has becomes synonymous with Trans-Atlantic debates over ‘science’, ‘safety’, ‘uncertainty’, and ‘risk’.
In these debates, the terms ‘biotechnology regulation’ and ‘biosafety’ are used interchangeably as if the issues of regulatory concern were assimilated only to the largely scientific and technical issues of safety. This techno-science based discourse of risk governance has become a defining feature in the creation of public policy, particularly in the creation of global environmental regimes. My thesis poses a critical challenge to the implicit assumed universality of the modern, global, techno-science based discourse of risk governance. This challenge is made through an examination of the science-based framing of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB) and its impacts and influence on the development and regulation of agri-biotechnology in Sub-Saharan Africa. It focuses on highlighting the distinction and conflict that exists between the international discourse of harmonisation through biosafety – a technical legal-regulatory concept focused on assessing and managing ‘risks’ though science with the national and locally rooted politics of biotechnology – characterised by representation of the broader social, ethical and economic concerns associated with biotechnology. This research project is funded through an ESRC/NERC collaborative studentship.
Supervisors: Dr. David Demeritt & Dr. Debby Potts
The global governance of modern biotechnology, particularly agri-biotechnology has becomes synonymous with Trans-Atlantic debates over ‘science’, ‘safety’, ‘uncertainty’, and ‘risk’.
In these debates, the terms ‘biotechnology regulation’ and ‘biosafety’ are used interchangeably as if the issues of regulatory concern were assimilated only to the largely scientific and technical issues of safety. This techno-science based discourse of risk governance has become a defining feature in the creation of public policy, particularly in the creation of global environmental regimes. My thesis poses a critical challenge to the implicit assumed universality of the modern, global, techno-science based discourse of risk governance. This challenge is made through an examination of the science-based framing of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB) and its impacts and influence on the development and regulation of agri-biotechnology in Sub-Saharan Africa. It focuses on highlighting the distinction and conflict that exists between the international discourse of harmonisation through biosafety – a technical legal-regulatory concept focused on assessing and managing ‘risks’ though science with the national and locally rooted politics of biotechnology – characterised by representation of the broader social, ethical and economic concerns associated with biotechnology. This research project is funded through an ESRC/NERC collaborative studentship.
Supervisors: Dr. David Demeritt & Dr. Debby Potts
Biography
I was born in Chertsey, Surrey in 1980 and educated in the UK. I gained my BA (Hons) in Geography & Environmental Studies with Development Studies (2002), MA in Environment, Development and Policy (2003) and MSc in Social Research Methods (Human Geography) (2004) from the University of Sussex. I moved to King’s in September 2004 to undertake my PhD. I currently live in Brighton, East Sussex.
Other interests
Outside of University my interests include: Environmental and animal conservation issues – I am a member of the Green Alliance and Born Free foundation, music and film, foreign travel (mainly Europe and Africa), reading, cooking and pub quizes.
Other interests
Outside of University my interests include: Environmental and animal conservation issues – I am a member of the Green Alliance and Born Free foundation, music and film, foreign travel (mainly Europe and Africa), reading, cooking and pub quizes.
Conference Presentations
‘Who creates / controls the space for participation? LDCs. the public and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety’, Assoc. American Geographers Annual Conference, Chicago: March 2006
‘Risk, representation and regulation – when the ‘global’ conflicts with the ‘local’: the accountability deficit within global environmental governance’, Royal Geographical Society Annual Conference, London: Aug/Sept 2006.
‘Risk, representation and regulation – when the ‘global’ conflicts with the ‘local’: the accountability deficit within global environmental governance’, Royal Geographical Society Annual Conference, London: Aug/Sept 2006.