Unearthing synthetic biology food futures and the changing 'nature' of production. A global ethnography of stevia ka'a he'e

在“细胞农业”或“实验室种植”食品的旗帜下，“生物合成”或生产通常来自植物或动物的“天然”商品的复制品的突破性能力正在塑造新的工业食品未来，在人、植物和“自然”概念之间开辟了一种新的政治。通过一段民族志之旅，将一种被称为甜菊糖的植物的多个“世界”并列在一起——甜菊糖是一种热门商品，被吹捧为替代糖和解决全球肥胖流行病——这项原创研究揭示了甜菊糖在五个多方面的“承诺”中纠缠的尖端基因技术、生计、知识、文化和政治经济。从可持续“绿色”商品的承诺；对神圣药草的承诺；给小农提供农村发展的“经济作物”；成为利润丰厚的企业“现金分子”；在探索21世纪“现金DNA”前景的竞赛中，这项研究揭示了合成生物学领域在数字基因测序、合成和基因编辑方面的技术突破所带来的多重转变。该奖学金的总体目标是将这项全球多地点的人种学研究（由ESRC全球政治经济学博士课程资助）转变为一本8章的书，带领观众穿越这个新的复杂领域，通过（生物合成）甜菊糖的“世界”和承诺，揭示可持续性、真实性、所有权和正义的4个惊人的“脱节/联系”。这本书将对政策制定者、农民、工业和土著社区等利益相关者产生深远的影响和用途，以对抗遗传资源的提取。该奖学金还将促进一系列公共和政策沟通和参与活动。关键研究成果将在联合国正在进行的新兴技术治理和政策进程中进行介绍，将研究成果转化为行动，影响处于破坏性创新和遗传资源开发“尖端”的利益攸关方的生计。该奖学金还将提供学术指导，以帮助塑造和建立研究（er），以建立和加速这一关键的新研究领域的广度。

The ground-breaking ability to 'biosynthesise' or produce replicas of 'natural' commodities normally derived from plants or animals is shaping new industrial food futures under the banner of 'cellular agriculture' or 'lab-grown' food, opening up a novel politics between people, plants and the very concept of 'naturalness'. Through an ethnographic journey juxtaposing the multiple 'worlds' of one plant known as stevia - the hot commodity touted to replace sugar and tackle the global obesity epidemic - this original research unearths the cutting-edge genetic technology, livelihoods, knowledges, cultures, and political economies entangled in five multi-faceted 'promises' of stevia. From the promise of a sustainable 'green' commodity; to the promise of a sacred medicinal herb; to a small farmer 'cash crop' for rural development; to a lucrative corporate 'cash molecule'; to the race to exploit the 21st century promise of 'cash DNA', this research exposes multiple transformations occurring as a result of the technological breakthroughs in digital genetic sequencing, synthesis and gene-editing developed in the field of Synthetic Biology.The overarching aim of this fellowship will be to transform and build on this globally multi-sited ethnographic research (funded by the ESRC Global Political Economy PhD pathway) into an 8-chapter book taking the audience on a journey across this new and complex terrain through the 'worlds' and promises of (biosynthetic) stevia exposing 4 striking 'dis/connects' on sustainability, authenticity, ownership and justice. The book will have far-reaching impact and uses for stakeholders from policymakers to farmers to industry to Indigenous communities fighting genetic resource extraction.The fellowship will also enable a range of public and policy communication and engagement activities. Key research findings will be presented at ongoing UN governance and policy processes over emerging technologies, translating the research into action affecting the livelihoods of stakeholders at the 'sharp end' of disruptive innovation and genetic resource exploitation. The fellowship will also provide academic mentoring to help shape and establish the research(er) in building and accelerating the breadth of this critical new field of enquiry.