While its advocates welcome the promotion of gene technology to combat hunger in developing and threshold countries, others warn of this technology?s having adverse impacts, in precisely these countries. Keywords in the discussion are food security, food sovereignty, technology transfer, and the just use of biological diversity.

As a basis, the ECNH commissioned one normative-ethical and one empirical study:

In the booklet "Gene Technology and Developing Countries" the ECNH recommends, in particular, promoting research in the public sector, so as to be able to estimate the potential of green gene technology better, to intensify risk research, and to consider alternative approaches: