Abstract
Viewing biotechnology as a lens through which to analyse new ways of governing populations, in this article we consider how the United Nations has globally communicated biotechnology’s risks, uncertainties and opportunities to develop and expand what we refer to as ‘responsible expertise’. We specifically examine the activities of UNESCO and the FAO to show how these organizations operate as agencies of rule by, on the one hand, marshalling expertise about biotechnology to identify populations ‘at risk’ and, on the other, capturing the imagination of people as responsible subjects with appropriate expertise to manage their own uncertain futures. As an orientation that engages both expert knowledge and moral judgement, the promotion of responsible expertise around the world signals a strategic shift in the UN’s efforts to tame bio-technology for the everyday decision-maker.
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