Separated by the future? Austrian stakeholders assess "New Plant Breeding Techniques"

This article presents the results of an ethical Delphi among 19 Austrian stakeholders on the topic of "New Plant Breeding Techniques". Among the topic's opponents, a broad consensus was shown on core goals (e.g., the yield security of Austrian agriculture in view of the climate crisis through the use of regionally adapted plant varieties, and a more environmentally friendly agriculture deserving of the description "rural"). Dissent was also evident, especially concerning these questions: to what extent can the new methods contribute to the achievement of these objectives? Is an entirely different form of agriculture needed? The study developed desirable future scenarios from both the opponents' and proponents' points of view and discussed them with regard to potential "compensatory measures": if these techniques are (not) promoted, which points of criticism in particular should be addressed to increase the respective opponents' acceptance of such a decision?