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19Capability Approach and Inclusion: Developing a Context Sensitive Design for Biobased Value ChainsJournal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 36 (1): 1-17. 2023.Biomass such as crops and agricultural waste is increasingly used as the primary resource for products like bioplastics and biofuels. Incorporating the needs, knowledge, skills and values of biomass producers in the design of global value chains – the steps involved in creating any finished product from design to delivery – can contribute to sustainability, reliability and fairness. However, how to involve biomass producers, especially if they are resource poor, remains a challenge. To make sure…Read more
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8Responsible Innovation 3: A European Agenda? (edited book)Imprint: Springer. 2017.This book offers a comprehensive overview of current developments in the field of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). Divided into three parts, the book first presents reflections on the concept of RI from various angles: how did it come about, who is involved and how might in be applied in various contexts, such as the academic environment or in developing countries. The second part discusses the actual application of RRI to technology development: for climate engineering, water manageme…Read more
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912. Inclusive biobased value chains: building on local capabilitiesIn Hanna Schübel & Ivo Wallimann-Helmer (eds.), Justice and food security in a changing climate, Wageningen Academic Publishers. 2021.Uncertainties about how to achieve sustainable and reliable biobased value chains can be remedied by inclusion of local biomass producers. Such inclusion implies that the knowledge, values, interests and skills of these local producers are integrated into the set-up, design, development and associated distribution of risk and benefits of the specific value chain. To make sure that this inclusion is both fair and effective, capabilities of relevant actors need to be taken into account, i.e. the c…Read more
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27Responsible Learning About Risks Arising from Emerging BiotechnologiesScience and Engineering Ethics 27 (2): 1-20. 2021.Genetic engineering techniques (e.g., CRISPR-Cas) have led to an increase in biotechnological developments, possibly leading to uncertain risks. The European Union aims to anticipate these by embedding the Precautionary Principle in its regulation for risk management. This principle revolves around taking preventive action in the face of uncertainty and provides guidelines to take precautionary measures when dealing with important values such as health or environmental safety. However, when deal…Read more
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14Integrating Value Considerations in the Decision Making for the Design of BiorefineriesScience and Engineering Ethics 26 (6): 2927-2955. 2020.Biobased production has been promoted as a sustainable alternative to fossil resources. However, controversies over its impact on sustainability highlight societal concerns, value tensions and uncertainties that have not been taken into account during its development. In this work, the consideration of stakeholders’ values in a biorefinery design project is investigated. Value sensitive design is a promising approach to the design of technologies with consideration of stakeholders’ values, howev…Read more
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39Creative tensions: mutual responsiveness adapted to private sector research and developmentLife Sciences, Society and Policy 13 (1): 1-24. 2017.The concept of mutual responsiveness is currently based on little empirical data in the literature of Responsible Research and Innovation. This paper explores RRI’s idea of mutual responsiveness in the light of recent RRI case studies on private sector research and development. In RRI, responsible innovation is understood as a joint endeavour of innovators and societal stakeholders, who become mutually responsive to each other in defining the ‘right impacts’ of the innovation in society, and in …Read more
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12The Ethics of Technological Risk (edited book)Earthscan Publications. 2009.'A comprehensive and important collection that includes essays by some of the leading figures in the field....Essential reading for anyone interested in risk assessment.' Professor Kristin Shrader-Frechette, University of Notre Dame 'The editors are to be congratulated for bringing together a distinguished international group of theorists to reflect on the issues. This volume will be sure to raise the level of debate while at the same time showing the importance of philosophical reflection in ap…Read more
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43Trustworthiness and Responsible Research and Innovation: The Case of the Bio-EconomyJournal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 28 (3): 571-588. 2015.The approach of responsible research and innovation has been proposed to support the introduction of technologies that touch upon socially sensitive issues. RRI is intended to help designers and manufacturers of new technologies identify and accommodate public concerns when developing a new technology by engaging with a wide range of relevant actors in an interactive, transparent process. However what this approach amounts to exactly remains elusive as of yet, i.e. it is unclear what its contrib…Read more
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45Informed Consent in the Fields of Medical Technological PracticeTechné: Research in Philosophy and Technology 10 (1): 16-29. 2006.Technological developments often bring about new risks. Informed consent has been proposed as a means to legitimize the imposition of technological risks. This principle was first introduced in medical practice to assure the autonomy of the patient.The introduction of IC in the field of technological practice raises questions about the comparability of the type of informed consent. To what extent are thepossibilities to include laypeople in making decisions regarding risks similar in the technol…Read more
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23The Need for Governance by Experimentation: The Case of BiofuelsScience and Engineering Ethics 22 (3): 815-830. 2016.The policies of the European Union concerning the development of biofuels can be termed a lock-in. Biofuels were initially hailed as a green, sustainability technology. However evidence to the contrary quickly emerged. The European Commission proposed to alter its policies to accommodate for these effects but met with fierce resistance from a considerable number of member states who have an economic interest in these first generation biofuels. In this paper I argue that such a lock-in might have…Read more
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Kan de filosofie ons leren hoe te leven?: Filosofie als levenskunstAlgemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte 3. 2004.
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183Mass-vaccination programmes and the value of respect for autonomyBioethics 22 (5). 2008.Respect for autonomy is problematic in relation to public health programmes such as vaccination, as the success of such programmes depends on widespread compliance. European countries have different policies for dealing with objectors to vaccination programmes. In some countries compliance is compulsory, while in others objectors are exempted or allowed to enter the programme under specific conditions. In this paper I argue that the objectors should not be treated as a homogenous group as is don…Read more
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31Autonomy and risk: Criteria for international trade regimesJournal of Global Ethics 3 (1). 2007.Several nation states have reasons to halt the import of genetically modified organisms. The current international trend towards a regime of free trade makes such bans problematic. Whether a nation state is deemed justified in banning a certain product is strongly connected to discussions about what are acceptable criteria for proof of risk. The determination of these criteria hinges upon considerations of individual and national autonomy. This paper compares two different points of view in the …Read more