She is trained as a plant geneticist. In Motion Magazine in the context of the 2000-2001 hearings of New Zealand's Royal Commission on Genetic Modification. In Motion Magazine travelled around New Zealand with Missouri Rural Crisis Center and Natiional Family Farm Coalition president Bill Chrisitison visiting farmers and community leaders and listening to their views about genetically modified organisms. Currently there are no commercial GE crops in New Zealand. After hearing the recommendations of the commission the New Zealand government will make a decision on whether or not GE crops will be allowed in New Zealand.
Risk assessment means assessing the risks of the release of a genetically engineered organism.
Risk is A composite analysis of the probability of an event occurring as well as the consequences of that event. With respect to genetic engineering, it's very difficult to do a risk assessment where you get real answers at the end. The probability of unpredictable events occurring is difficult to measure, and if you can't predict an event, you can't predict what is going to happen. It's difficult to understand what the consequences may be. What you are doing is you are moving genetic information from one organism to another and that's inherently unpredictable because you are creating a novel organism that's never before existed on the planet.