Subcommittee G: Policy Recommendations

As the use of bioengineered foods increases globally, concerns about the safety of these foods both in terms of consumption and the environment are mounting. Given the anxieties of many Europeans, the eagerness of developing nationsā citizens to produce the most food possible, and the general lack of consistency in regulations across the world, some international measures need to be taken. These measures should promote the facilitation of trade, the development of safe and beneficial products, and the safety of agricultural products.

The first recommended measure the committee proposes is to develop an international independent working committee modeled after the IPCC. It would monitor the research and development of genetically engineered food. The committee would promote dialogue on this topic among Asian countries, developing nations, the EC and the Americas, and be recognized by participating countries as the leading authority on biotechnology in agriculture. It would address safety procedures, cooperate with other organizations to create a database of global usage of genetically modified organisms, consider the policies of different nations, assess potential risks, and notify all nations of potential dangers of certain ingredients/organisms by publishing alerts when necessary. The committee could be constituted by representatives of the World Trade Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and scientists recommended by nations; however, it would not be affiliated with FAO, WTO, or United Nations. Conflicts of interest should be avoided: no committee scientists should be involved in the evaluation their own projects.

Transparency of production is critical to any worldwide regulations. Openness and proactive dissemination of information are steps to building global harmony on this issue. One method that could prove helpful as it has in the areas of vaccines and weaponry is the creation of a database. Nations should post the exact agricultural biotechnologies that they are employing in this database. For the facilitation of trade, this database should also include each nationās restrictions on imported bio-engineered foods and foodstuffs. For a better framework for the sharing and transfer of technology, especially between developed and developing nations, the precise legal documents pertaining to biotechnology should also be on this database: the Biosafety Information Network and Advisory Service (BINAS) internet site contains drafts of legislation but is not a complete database as is needed. BINAS, through the auspices of UNIDOs Investment and Technology Promotion Division, should maintain this database in conjunction with the new working committee. Another vehicle of transparency, this one critical to agricultural trade, is labeling. On a global scale, nations should agree to minimum requirement for labeling; the committee should determine the specific wording of the label and update it when nations call for it. Subcommittee G suggests: "This product contains ingredients that have been genetically altered. While the effects are not considered dangerous at this time, studies are currently in progress. These labels should be prominently displayed on the packaging öfor example, in the bottom right corner in a light blue box with black writing. Consistency is important so that consumers know where to look for the label. This warning is modeled after cigarette and alcohol labeling in the U.S.; although there are known deleterious effects for the latter products, the same principle holds true for food because consumers have a right to know what they are buying. Regional trade bodies and individual nations are of course free to require stricter labeling than the minimum, as European nations likely would, but it is important that there is an international common denominator.

Food with genetically modified ingredients, food produced from GM organisms, food with intentionally modified molecular structures, food that has been isolated from fungi, microorganisms, and algae are all included in products that would require labeling.

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