Revenge Strategy, wasting the power of your hate on the guiltless (XXXVIII): European Union preventing GMOs injuries.
Have a beautiful Saturday. It is the turn to complete the GMOs theme. I would like to finish with a strategic reflection about why the European Union has resisted the widespread use of genetically modified organisms?
First of all, since I am a corporate strategy artist, and I am also an engineer, I wish to apologize to all the genetic engineers, biotechnologists and experts in genetic design if my past publications seem to be extreme. I do not mean to offend the passion of your work. I understand that your discipline field started “officially” at the same time that I was born, in consequence, almost half of a century has passed. When it comes to these emerging genetic technologies, 50 years is nothing. Fifty years of GMOs research and development are nothing in comparison to the times of the Universe.
From my corporate strategist’s vision. When it comes to “genetic” sciences or related disciplines, I observe you as a nascent entrepreneurial discipline. As an entrepreneur myself, the first initial stages of our work happen during the “valley of death (VOD)”-Osawa-Miyazaki, 2006. And your field of specialization is really so new that we can´t blame you for your mistakes or the lack of vision of your sponsors, in relation to the risks associated with your objectives. In addition, each scientist is also an artist. You are paid by your sponsors to do what you have done. Let´s revisit where Genetic engineering and biotechnology are situated in relation to the entrepreneurial curve. My personal point of view: GMO industries and its adjacencies have been in the “valley of Death” stage, but their products were launched before the time was right. When they were still doing the initial tests at one single human generation timeframe.
The Valley of Death, Osawa-Miyazaki, 2006.
When scientists see themselves as successful inventors of products or services, which sooner or later will be sold commercially, please, see yourselves as a nascent entrepreneur too. Once you digest this, your perspective about what are you doing will shift completely. As much as I am an entrepreneur, I also understand you. But I do not play with genetics. I am a corporate strategy producer.
We understand that once upon a time, GMOs scientists were producing their inventions, at the VoD stages: testing and checking all their experiments, the risks vs the benefits, etc. But the novelty of their “genetic” creations was seen by investors of big companies, which at their nascent stages decided to sell their GMOs art before the time was right. If we understand this, things are clear for all.
As an entrepreneur, I have been for 3 years trying to design and plot my start-up. All of you know I still, have not been able to create revenues, because I do not want to sell my knowledge to my readers. I wish a business model with academic sponsors because I consider myself a corporate strategy researcher and innovator. I am testing the waters with my strategy models. If this option will prove to be successful, just time will tell. My future success depends if my readers make a strategic shift in their decision-making process.
GM food companies submit the same types of scientific data to U.S. and EU regulatory bodies for approval. Three separate agencies in the U.S. evaluate the potential risks of GM foods, while a centralized approval process is established in the EU. Approval and labeling requirements are stricter in the EU. Source: http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2015/same-science-different-policies/
There are other start-ups from other industries, which are able to do revenues immediately, simply because they were able to create the demand to fill certain market needs and wants. And irresponsibly, for the start-up owners and their investors, selling an offer with wrong business models is a corporate crime. The majority of us are unconscious consumers who do not think at all in what are we buying. We simply follow trends or fashionable consumption, paying for any type of product without thinking about the consequences. The GMOs industry started as such. It is the same case as the plastics used for packaging. If 100 years ago, the plastic inventors would have taken the time to polish their business model with the premise of recycling or reuse it, we wouldn´t live in such a plastic garbage world as we live right now. We are reaping the consequences of it. 100 years later.
Let´s go back to the GMOs: Every nascent industry has its benefits and risks. But when it comes to playing “by God” using genetics, the length of the Valley of Death stage must be longer. At the VoD stage, where research and development occurs, I believe the GMOs testing phase has to be extended to several generations (around 100 years) in order to validate with scientific results that the environment, agriculture ecosystems, and our health are not hurt. If the GMOs don´t pass the VoD extended testing, then the products can´t be released. No sales of wrong products, please. At the moment, I foresee a market correction will come imminently not just to the originators of the inventions (the scientists) but also to the companies which traded with them (as what is happening with Bayer-Monsanto). Companies who thought to be ahead of the game, selling GMOs (when they were still in the VoD testing stage), will have to fix their troubles and pay the price for it. Economic support is withheld when something damages our future sustainability.
In tune with my last thoughts, the reason why the European Union has been stopping the GMOs’ development in Europe in comparison to the USA, has nothing to do to obstruct the scientists’ good work. The issue is not related to the scientists but with the commercialization of their genetic artistic work when the products are not ready. When we see a nascent industry as the GMOs or any other new industry, that has more inherent risks than benefits for the environment, anyone who has “a minimum common sense” and long term vision, won´t provide support for something that has not been polished, smoothed, buffed and shone well. Products and services which have not passed the initial testing phase, can´t be deployed globally. The GMOs industry requires corrections (in every single aspect of their value chain), and the European Union will need to keep and update for higher standards in the future.
Not all emerging technologies are ready for sale.
Human beings in every single discipline (scientific, technical, technology, art, media or communications, merchants, etc) must learn to slow down. Not all inventions are innovations ready to sell. We can´t continue irresponsibly selling products before the “VoD” homework of testing is done. We need to learn from the mistakes of our ancestors. We can´t sell new things, new technology (at any level) which has not been proven to be right in the long run.
Our ideas and value propositions should be proven and tested using the entrepreneurial contextual analysis (Eleonora Escalante invention).
https://eleonoraescalantestrategy.wordpress.com/2018/07/18/entrepreneurs-without-money-v/
When it comes to genetically modification products, I urge the scientists and the GMO industry to adjust and elevate its ethical standards. My advice to those who are leading these developments is to take it easy. It is fantastic to discover things and try to sell them immediately (you also need to make a living) but when it comes to genetics, when there are not regulatory strong capabilities at the government level, there must be an ethical code of conduct that must help all the GMO players to learn when to stop at every piece of your value chain industry.
Each quantum physicist, tech guru, or genome biologist knows by heart what I am talking about. Your testing chronology must be extended to several generations. You know more than me, about the importance of your tests. The heritage of your GMO art to the species doesn´t end with your life. When you are touching the DNA heritage for generations ahead, it is extremely delicate to decide to sell your inventions when you are still at the Valley of Death stage, particularly if your tests will last more than your own life.
We all must learn to stop ourselves to sell things when these have not been tested in accordance with each industry´s highest standards and the impact on the planet.
Next week we will continue with the USA-China Trade War. Thank you for reading to me. Have a beautiful weekend.
Sources of Reference which have inspired me to write this article:
https://time.com/4060476/eu-gmo-crops-european-union-opt-out/
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/countriesruleoutgmos/
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/MEMO_07_117
Same Science, Different Policies: Regulating Genetically Modified Foods in the U.S. and Europe
https://www.gmo-free-regions.org/gmo-free-regions/maps.html
Disclaimer: Illustrations in Watercolor are painted by Eleonora Escalante. Other types of illustrations or videos (which are not mine) are used for educational purposes ONLY. Nevertheless, the majority of the pictures, images or videos shown on this blog are not mine. I do not own any of the lovely photos or images posted unless otherwise stated.
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