Welcome to our national conversation about Genetic Technologies and Our Environment

Kia ora. As you may already know, genetic technologies are a range of techniques scientists have been using to understand, make or change genes and their expression. To understand some of the terminology around these technologies see this jargon buster from the Royal Society of the United Kingdom.

Genetic technologies may involve a wide range of organisms, from fungi to mammals, and the reasons for using these technologies can vary widely. Genetic technologies can be used in diverse fields, including horticulture and agriculture, health and medicine, and for environmental management or conservation purposes.

In Aotearoa/New Zealand we have a range of environmental issues that people have suggested genetic technologies could solve. Some possible purposes for genetic technologies in environmental management and conservation include predator and other pest control through gene drives, sequencing the genome of endangered species such as kakapo, and targeted genetic interventions to help species survive challenging environments.

We want to know your views. What are your visions for the future of New Zealand's natural environment? How could genetic technologies play a role? How do you feel about gene tech - worried, excited, confused, ignored, or just meh? Genetics technologies will have pros and cons for our natural environment, and we believe that people should be aware of them and feel able to discuss them.

This forum is to keep you up to date with this conversation as it develops through until the end of 2024, and to give you information that might help you think through and discuss the issues involved. Please feel free to comment on anything we put up.

We look forward to hearing from you! Thank you for joining the conversation.