Science and Power in Global Food Regulation: The Rise of the Codex Alimentarius
Authors:
David Winickoff, Douglas Bushey
Tags:
Administrative Law, Codex Alimentarius, food regulation, regulatory science, WTO
Journal:
Science, Technology and Human Values
Year Published:
2010
Policy Summary
This paper argues that the mutual construction of epistemic and legal authority across international organizations has been critical for constituting and stabilizing a global regime for the regulation of food safety. This has also given rise to an authoritative framework for risk analysis that is “scientifically rigorous” but embodies value choices regarding health, environment, and the dispensation of regulatory power. The paper concludes with the importance of attending to the iterative construction of law and science in the constitution of new global administrative regimes, especially within the WTO legal framework.
