Based on an EU workshop at the end of 2005, the book discusses risk and our food supply. The introductory chapter will discuss all aspects of risk and how it applies to food, from risk classification to risk management. Following a discussion of risk, the authors will present three different case studies that will emphasize the following issues:

What do we want as individuals, as a society
What is the political context of the risk discussion
When do we act and what are the costs of not acting/acting
International trade and legal issues
Moral dimensions of decision making
How do we deal with the disproportionate "power" of the various stakeholders
Rationality/emotive aspects of argumentation (connection between perception /live experiences, knowledge)
What are facts- and do they change with time
Psychological aspects: rapture of trust; the need for certainty; connection between danger, fear and risk

Paul Pechan is a researcher at the Department of Communication and Media Research, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich. His background is in molecular biology but since 2000 he has been involved in the research and communication of science to the public and youth. His latest work includes scientific papers on information recall, texts for 5 health films and a UNESCO manual for teachers.

Allan Watt is a research scientist at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh. He has led several international projects with a focus on conflicts between human activities and biodiversity.

Ingemar Pongratz is group leader and holds an Assistant Professorship at the Department for Biosciences and Nutrition at KI. Dr Pongratzs main research area is the biology and function of pHLH-PAS proteins and he leads his own research group studying the effects of dioxin exposure at the cellular level.

Ortwin Rennserves asfull professor andChair of Environmental Sociology and Technology Assessment at Stuttgart University (Germany). He directs theInterdisciplinary Research Unit for Risk Governance and Sustainable Technology Development (ZIRN)at Stuttgart University and thenon-profit company DIALOGIK, a research institute for the investigation of communication and participation processes in environmental policy making.

1. Risks.- 2. Biodiversity at Risk.- 3. Chemical Contaminants in Food.- 4. The Food Choices We Make.