The Action Group on Erosion, Technology, and Concentration (ETC), pronounced "et cetera," is an advocacy organization based around "the conservation and

sustainable Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

advancement of cultural and ecological diversity and

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

." ETC frequently publishes opinions on scientific research by its staff and board members, covering topics such as community and

regional planning Regional planning deals with the efficient placement of land-use activities, infrastructure, and settlement growth across a larger area of land than an individual city or town. Regional planning is related to urban planning as it relates land ...

ecology Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their Natural environment, environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community (ecology), community, ecosystem, and biosphere lev ...

evolutionary biology Evolutionary biology is the subfield of biology that studies the evolutionary processes such as natural selection, common descent, and speciation that produced the diversity of life on Earth. In the 1930s, the discipline of evolutionary biolo ...

, and

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

History

The ETC Group, known until September 1, 2001 as the ''Rural Advancement Foundation International'' (RAFI), has historical roots linked to the National Sharecroppers Fund which was established in the 1930s. Initiated by

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...

and other reformers, the Fund aimed to provide support for predominantly black tenant farmers in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and advocate for their rights. In the early 1970s,

Pat Mooney Pat Mooney (born February 24, 1947) has worked with civil society organizations on international trade and development issues related to agriculture, biodiversity and emerging technologies for over 40 years. Career Pat Mooney had no formal un ...

, Hope Shand, and

Cary Fowler Morgan Carrington "Cary" Fowler Jr. (born 1949) is an American agriculturalist who served as the U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security from 2022 to 2025. He was previously executive director of the Crop Trust. Fowler received the 2024 Worl ...

began focusing on seed-related issues under the auspices of the Rural Advancement Foundation. This initiative led to the development of an international branch that prioritized programs to protect farmers' rights and address agricultural challenges in the

global south Global North and Global South are terms that denote a method of grouping countries based on their defining characteristics with regard to socioeconomics and politics. According to UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Global South broadly com ...

. Over time, the group expanded its scope to include broader issues related to biodiversity and sustainable agriculture. RAFI was a pioneer in

civil society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.farmers' rights The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (also known as ITPGRFA, International Seed Treaty or Plant Treaty) is a comprehensive international agreement in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity, ...

and seed monopoly laws. The

organization An organization or organisation (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), see spelling differences) is an legal entity, entity—such as ...

opposed the adoption of

genetic engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of Genetic engineering techniques, technologies used to change the genet ...

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

, patents on life,

biopiracy Biopiracy (also known as scientific colonialism ) is the unauthorized appropriation of knowledge and genetic resources of farming and indigenous communities by individuals or institutions seeking exclusive monopoly control through patents or in ...

(a term coined b
RAFI
, and emerging

life science Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, organisation, metabolism, growth, adaptation, respon ...

technologies such as

terminator technology Genetic use restriction technology (GURT), also known as terminator technology or suicide seeds, is designed to restrict access to "genetic materials and their associated phenotypic traits." The technology works by activating (or deactivating) s ...

, genomic technologies, and

nanotechnology Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). At this scale, commonly known as the nanoscale, surface area and quantum mechanical effects become important in describing propertie ...

RAFI
played a crucial role in advocating for and influencing UN recognition of

farmers' rights The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (also known as ITPGRFA, International Seed Treaty or Plant Treaty) is a comprehensive international agreement in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity, ...

and the establishment of the

International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (also known as ITPGRFA, International Seed Treaty or Plant Treaty) is a comprehensive international agreement in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity, ...

. In order to secure

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

status in the

, RAFI conducted a name change contest on their website in early 2001, eventually selecting the name ETC Group (

etcetera ''Et cetera'' (, ), abbreviated to ''etc.'', ''et cet.'', ''&c.'' or ''&c'', is a Latin expression that is used in English to mean "and all the rest". "&" is a ligature of "et." Translated literally from Latin, can mean , while can mean ; th ...

) after considering numerous suggestions from the public.

Geoengineering

The organization has been active against

geoengineering Geoengineering (also known as climate engineering or climate intervention) is the deliberate large-scale interventions in the Earth’s climate system intended to counteract human-caused climate change. The term commonly encompasses two broad cate ...

, as highlighted through their "Hands off Mother Earth!" campaign, which was launched in April 2010. In October 2010, they published a detailed report titled "Geopiracy: The Case Against Geoengineering," which examined various dimensions of geoengineering. The report covered proposed technologies, governance frameworks, key stakeholders in the geoengineering field, and the involvement and interests of military forces and corporations. Diana Bronson, a spokesperson for the ETC Group, argued that global warming was largely caused by the actions of the scientific, corporate, and political elites in developed nations. She expressed concerns about entrusting these same entities to resolve the climate crisis and protect the biosphere, highlighting her skepticism regarding their motivations and effectiveness in addressing environmental issues. The organization continues to advocate for sustainable and community-led solutions, warning against quick technological fixes that may have long-term consequences.

Synthetic biology

The ETC Group actively advocates for increased

regulation Regulation is the management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. In systems theory, these types of rules exist in various fields of biology and society, but the term has slightly different meanings according to context. Fo ...

within the emerging scientific domain of

synthetic biology Synthetic biology (SynBio) is a multidisciplinary field of science that focuses on living systems and organisms. It applies engineering principles to develop new biological parts, devices, and systems or to redesign existing systems found in nat ...

, which they characterize as "extreme genetic engineering." The group's primary concerns regarding this field encompasses issues related to corporate involvement as well as potential threats to

biosafety Biosafety is the prevention of large-scale loss of biological integrity, focusing both on ecology and human health. These prevention mechanisms include the conduction of regular reviews of biosafety in laboratory settings, as well as strict guidel ...

and

biosecurity Biosecurity refers to measures aimed at preventing the introduction or spread of harmful organisms (e.g. viruses, bacteria, plants, animals etc.) intentionally or unintentionally outside their native range or within new environments. In agricult ...

. They have sought to raise public awareness and understanding of synthetic biology through the creation and dissemination of comic-style illustrations concerning "Synthia," the cell with the first synthetic genome, engineered by

Craig Venter John Craig Venter (born October 14, 1946) is an American scientist. He is known for leading one of the first draft sequences of the human genome and led the first team to transfect a cell with a synthetic chromosome. Venter founded Celera Geno ...

and the

J. Craig Venter Institute The J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) is a non-profit genomics research institute founded by J. Craig Venter, Ph.D. in October 2006. The institute was the result of consolidating four organizations: the Center for the Advancement of Ge ...

. Another illustration, titled "The Story of Synthia," was later released as a small video clip. On December 16, 2010, the

Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues (the Bioethics Commission) was created by on November 24, 2009.s:Executive Order 13521, Executive Order 13521 - ''Establishing the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical ...

issued a report recommending

self-regulation Self-regulation may refer to: *Emotional self-regulation *Self-control, in sociology/psychology *Self-regulated learning, in educational psychology *Self-regulation theory (SRT), a system of conscious personal management *Industry self-regulation, ...

by synthetic biologists, asserting that the fledgling technology posed minimal risks to society. This recommendation faced strong opposition from Jim Thomas of the ETC Group, who characterized the commission's suggestions as "disappointingly empty and timid." The ETC Group aligned with more than 50 environmental organizations, urging a moratorium on synthetic biology through a letter to government officials. They labeled the commission's conclusions as "irresponsible and dangerous," contending that "self-regulation amounts to no regulation." On January 23, 2012,

UC Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkele ...

Richmond Field Station The Richmond Field Station (RFS) is a satellite campus of the University of California, Berkeley located in Richmond, California. The name was changed to the Richmond Bay Campus (RBC) in 2012 and then Berkeley Global Campus at Richmond Bay (BGC) i ...

was selected as the site for the

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL, Berkeley Lab) is a Federally funded research and development centers, federally funded research and development center in the Berkeley Hills, hills of Berkeley, California, United States. Established i ...

's secondary campus. In a press conference addressing concerns about synthetic biology at local, national, and international levels, a panel comprising five members, including Jim Thomas of the ETC Group, highlighted the risks associated with synthetic biology. The panel criticized the laboratory's affiliation with UC Berkeley as a superficial endorsement for an inadequately regulated industry with potentially perilous consequences. Additionally, Thomas characterized the industry as a "1.6 billion dollar industry" akin to "genetic engineering on steroids."

References

External links

ETC group - Action Group on Erosion, Technology, and Concentration

The ETC Blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Etc Group Appropriate technology organizations Environmental justice organizations Environmental organizations based in the United States Climate change organizations based in the United States Geoengineering Planetary engineering Synthetic biology Organizations established in the 1930s 1930s establishments in the United States Year of establishment missing

History

Geoengineering

Synthetic biology

See also

References

External links