The Language of Biofacts

Biofacts are hybrid objects that, like the cloned sheep and the genetically modified tomato, undermine the traditional distinction between inanimate technology and living nature and thereby cause social conflicts again and again. The current discussions on the application of genetic engineering in the agricultural and food sector are a significant example. The objective of the research association The Language of Biofacts is to develop, through the example of high-tech plants, a theoretically and empirically sound framework for the analysis and comprehension of biofacts as socio-technical objects in modern societies. In doing so we contribute to a deeper reflection on biofacts as well as a better comprehension of current conflicts in the agricultural and food sector.