GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

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http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=15668  

Date : 2005-09-20

To ensure safety, genetically modified organisms and food will be regulated

By Q Perera - Our business Correspondent

 

 

 

Colombo, 20 September (Asiantribune.com): The Ministry of Environment and

Natural Resources has established the National Bio-safety Framework for Sri

Lanka (NBFSL) to regulate and control the importation of Genetically Modified

Organisms (GMO) and food (GMF), as well as genetically modified feed and

processed products into Sri Lanka.

 

Prof Athula Perera, University of Peradniya, National Project Coordinator, and

National Bio-safety Framework Development Project has taken part in the

preparation of these regulations and other deliberations.

 

GMO and GMF are being produced by the use of the modern recombinant DNA

technology (genetic engineering/gene technology), where genes are identified,

separated from one organism and transferred to the genetic system of another

organism which is often from different species. This gene will produce a new

protein in the organism which it never had earlier in its natural state. Such

organisms are referred to as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and any food

obtained from such organisms are known as Genetically Modified Food (GMF).

 

Many GM organisms are being produced today. These genes produce proteins that

are toxic to certain insect pests. For example transgenic soybeans carrying

foreign genes that provide tolerance to herbicides, transgenic virus resistant

papaya, blue colored roses and rice producing high levels of vitamin A are some

of the other transgenic plants.

 

Transgenic animals include fish with higher growth rate and animals such as

cattle and sheep producing various products including human milk proteins in

their milk. GM microbes include those that produce many types of

pharmaceuticals/drugs including human insulin, and a large number of different

enzymes used in industries such as textiles, cosmetics, confectionary etc.

 

There is world-wide agreement that GMO/GMF, despite their many uses, can pose

threats to human health as well as to the environment. The new proteins can be

toxic and allergenic to humans; the new genes in plants can transfer to other

closely related crops through natural breeding systems; the toxic proteins can

affect other non-target organisms like the myriad of butterflies, the various

birds’ life such as crows, mynahs, parrots, etc. No long-term research has been

done to ascertain these harmful after effects.

 

Entry of these into Sri Lanka can have adverse effects on the farmers, in

addition to ethical and moral issues including the patenting of genes.

Therefore, it is said that there remains considerable uncertainty about

potential risks associated with this technology. The possible costs of

mitigating or reversing any harm that may occur as a result of the use of modern

biotechnology may prove to be immense, and far-reaching, especially to the

government which is ultimately responsible for assuring the health status and

food security of the people.

 

Safety measures are intended to be developed to minimize risks to human health

and the environment. In doing so, it should be ensured that the knowledge,

practices and benefits of the country's traditional biotechnology techniques are

safeguarded. Safety measures taken should be based on the principle that if

there is any perceived threat of serious or irreversible damage, lack of

scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing measures to

prevent environmental degradation and health impacts. This shifts the burden of

proof, requiring that modern biotechnology applications used in Sri Lanka are

first proved to be harmless, instead of waiting to take action once they have

been proven harmful.

 

At present, there are no laws to control the entry of these GMO/GMFs into the

country and therefore, many such products may be already in the market right

now. They maybe present in some cereal and soybean products, some types of

sweets etc. depending on the source of the material used to produce them. They

can be detected by a simple laboratory test. Already a training programme had

been conducted at the Biotechnology Centre of the University of Peradeniya to

show how GMO/GMF can be detected.

 

Due to the risks that may arise by the use of GMO/GMF, more than 100 countries,

including Sri Lanka have decided to establish safety measures with respect to

the importation of GMO/GMF. One obligation that have to met with regard to the

Cartagena Protocol Sri Lanka established the National Bio-safety Framework (NBF)

by carrying out a project funded by the United Nations Environment Programme

(UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

 

The NBF of Sri Lanka includes, National Bio-safety Policy, Regulatory mechanism,

Administrative structure, Risk assessment & management procedures and Public

participation.

 

The project began by establishing a national database on Biotechnology &

Bio-safety by conducting an island-wide survey with expert information of

institutes, technology, techniques, equipment, legal instruments, health aspects

(e.g. drugs), industries, media, import/export and libraries. This database

shows the present situation in Sri Lanka with regard to Biotechnology &

Bio-safety. It can be used to identify experts to be included in risk assessment

and management committees.

 

Training programmes were carried out for risk assessment & management,

laboratory safety procedures and for GMO/GMF detection methods. A regional

workshop was carried out in Colombo to share the experiences of the regional

countries including India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan and to identify areas

for regional cooperation.

 

In order to move forward in the area of bio-safety a national policy was

established. The main policy objective is to implement bio-safety measures in

order to regulate and manage the importation of GMO/GMF based on the

precautionary principle and the advanced informed agreement (AIA) deals with the

necessity for regulations, public awareness & participation, risk assessment, as

well as regulating industrial use.

 

Sri Lanka, at present, does not have any laws to deal directly with GMO/GMF, but

it is apparent that some provisions in the existing laws could be effectively

used to control, check or even ban the introduction of certain GMOs based on the

precautionary principle.

 

The NBF recommends that a new law be enacted to regulate and monitor all

applications and uses (including applications and uses on human beings),all

development, research, productions and manufacture for commercial, research and

other purposes, contained use, deliberate release, all marketing and other

commercial applications, all imports and exports and all methods of disposal in

relation to applications of modern biotechnologies, including all GMOs and

products. There will be transparency and public participation in

decision-making, with no scope for confidential information. Labeling will be

mandatory.

 

Prof Athula Perera, University of Peradniya, National Project Coordinator, and

National Bio-safety Framework Development Project has taken part in the

preparation of these regulations and other deliberations.

 

The new law will make it possible to bring in regulations to the Plant

Protection Act, Food Act, Consumer Affairs Authority Act, Control of Pesticides

Act and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act in order to regulate, control and

when necessary prevent the entry of GMOs relevant to their respective sectors

and they can also act as concurrent bodies in the approval of GMOs and products.

 

Until a new law is passed, the Consumer Affairs Authority Act can be used to

provide for compulsory labeling of all GMOs and products; the Food Act can be

used to approve all food items containing GMOs and GM start-up cultures in food

processing; the Fauna and Flora protection Ordinance and the Animal Diseases Act

can be used to control, regulate and even prohibit the entry of all GM animals

and animal products; the Animal Feed Act can regulate, control and even prevent

any animal feed containing GM material and to prevent GM feed being subsequently

used for human consumption.

 

A GM plant should first get approval under the provisions of the new law before

it is given the rights under a future Plant Breeders Rights Act (being drafted

at present). The Intellectual Property Act can deny patents to any inventions

that can be detrimental to the public. The new law need not confine itself to

GMOs and products but can also be used to address damage caused by any

introduced species such as alien invasive species.

 

Once the an application for a permit can be sent by the NFP to several competent

authorities, if necessary, for concurrent approval. Pharmaceuticals /drugs

produced by GM microbes need not go through this procedure as they are in the

most pure form and are covered by other international regulatory mechanisms and

organizations (WHO).

 

The National Bio-safety Framework is now complete for implementation.

 

- Asian Tribune -