"There is a case for suggesting the development of some kind of continuing international dialogue", Sir John Krebs, who is Professor of Zoology at Oxford University and the chairman designate of the future U.K. Food Standards Agency, told delegates at the close of the three-day conference.
How such a dialogue could be formalised would need to be discussed by governments in both the developed and the developing world, he said, adding that in his view its purpose would be "to inform rather than to make policy". He recommended, however, that such a panel, if it is created, should deal not only with the agricultural and food aspects of biotechnology but also with a range of other issues including trade, economic development, and environmental and ethical questions. It should take science as its starting point but build on work already being done in other fora. "If such an international discussion did go forward, it would have to be based on science," Sir John declared. "But it has to be science plus the broader issues of economic development, trade and other concerns that we have heard here."