BioSafety, Volume 3, Paper 4 (BY97004) 1997
Online Journal - URL: http://www.bdt.org.br/bioline/by
Biotechnology, Biosafety and Impact Assessment: Field Trials of
Transgenic Crops in Developing Countries
Andre de Kathen
Dept of Molecular Genetics, University of Hannover, Herrenhauserstr. 2,
30419 Hannover, Germany
email: kathen@mbox.lgm.uni-hannover.de
Code Number: BY97004
Size of Files:
Text: 37K
No associated graphics files
ABSTRACT
The deliberate release of transgenic crops is often taken to be an
indicator of agricultural biotechnology development. However, less than 10%
of the field trials world wide have been carried out in Developing
Countries (DCs) and it seems that more than 80% of these were carried out
by multinational companies to speed up seed production in the counter
season or to test transgenic crops under special environmental
conditions.
The DCs differ widely in their legal, religious, political and social
system as well as in issues such as educational standards, agronomic
tradition and national income. Generally, these countries have not evolved
an appropriate biotechnology market structure, hindering the development of
an "indigenous" biotechnology capacity, a prerequisite for establishing and
translating Biosafety Guidelines within a legally binding system. Several
countries in the developing world, although highly interested in
establishing agrobiotechnology capacities, have neither developed a
national or regional programme nor guidelines for the safe use of modern
biotechnology tools. An overview on the actual situation is given.
The release of transgenic plants in DCs is, despite its implications for
trade agreements, intellectual property rights and a Biosafety Protocol, of
particular interest for impact assessment studies, because most of the
worlds biodiversity is located there. It appears that the potential impact
or risk assessment discussion in DCs, if it is actually carried out, is
based on scientific assumptions and clearly balances risks and benefits. It
is also clear that the information needed to predict the impact in a
particular case is not, and probably will not be, available. General
strategies for risk and benefit assessment have been discussed in several
workshops and meetings in DCs and clearly show that the potential benefits
outweigh the potential ecological risks.
Keywords: Agriculture, biotechnology, biosafety, developing
countries, transgenic crops, field release, impact assessment, research
Copyright remains with the author