Civil society in the composition of Brazilian National Biosafety Technical Commission: difficulties for a Biotechnology Governance

Abstract

This article analyzes the deficits of society participation in the formation of Brazilian National Biosafety Technical Commission, according to the paradigm of the Democratic Environmental State, which elects the participation of civil society in political biosecurity as a basic principle. Identify the prevalence of scientistic boundary-maker speech, who decisively influenced the text of the current biosafety law, dividing the chairs of Commission in three social segments identified at the law, the scientific community, the government and civil society, straight to this hierarchical sequence, in which the less significant role was given to the last social segment, whose choice was relegated to the government sector with no rigid criteria. Try to uncover the contradictions of this prevalent discourse tuned into law which relegated a secondary role to the civil society in decision-making, at full force of the brazilian Democratic Constitution of 1988, which also created structural problems hard to overcome. Exposes the impact of the attempt to regulate the choice of members of civil society by the government sector over the deficit of participation and how it contributes to distance CTNBio from the purpose of establishing an responsive biotechnological governance, for her present and the future society, corollary of Democratic Environmental State. The methodology is qualitative and exploratory, with bibliographical and documental analysis