The UK National Consensus Conference on Plant Biotechnology

We consider the consensus conference as a model for the incorporation of lay perspectives within the assessment of new sciences and technologies. A consensus is a forum in which a group of laypeople questions experts about a controversial scientific or technological subject, assesses the experts' responses, reaches a consensus about the subject, and reports its conclusions at a press conference. Following a brief description of the development of consensus conferences in Denmark, we review the organization and the outcome of the first UK National Consensus Conference on Plant Biotechnology (UKNCC). The UKNCC is currently the subject of a detailed evaluation. At this stage, we are principally concerned to provide practical information about the organization of the conference. However, we also offer a preliminary assessment of the potential significance of this novel approach for the public understanding of science.