Transformation and slippage in co-production ambitions for global technology development: The case of gene drive. Issue 116 (February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ledingham, Katie; Hartley, Sarah
• Is Part Of: Environmental science & policy. Issue 116(2021)
• Page Start: 78
• Page End: 85
• Publication Date: 2021-02
• Subjects: Co-production -- Global research -- Governance -- Sustainability -- Gene drive; Environmental policy -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Environnement -- Politique gouvernementale -- Périodiques; Sciences de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Environmental policy; Environmental sciences; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.70561
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2020.10.014
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1462-9011

Abstract

Highlights: Co-production regularly falls short of its transformation ambitions. Co-production is being stretched beyond the local into global research and technology spaces. The meaning of co-production is extended in transformative ways in global gene drive. Transformative ambitions in gene drive'slip' towards reductive framings of collaboration. Slippage in co-production can be linked to established and new knowledge hierarchies. Abstract: Co-production is an increasingly popular framework for knowledge generation, evaluation and decision making. Despite its potential to open up decisions and practices to the input of others, co-production regularly falls short of its transformative ambitions. Through documentary analysis, we investigate the meaning and dynamics of co-production as it stretches beyond the local into global research and technology spaces. We find that in the case of global gene drive, the meaning of co-production is extended in novel ways and underpinned by new possibilities for meaningful transformation. At the same time, we also identify a simultaneous resurfacing of reductive framings of collaboration. In the paper we present 'slippage' as a useful heuristic in helping to understand why co-production fails. We argue that if co-production in these new spaces is to achieve its transformative ambitions, there is a need to engage with new and entrenched knowledge hierarchies that contribute to this slippage.