Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

FAO has settled web pages on biotechnology and supports science based evolution system that would objectively determine the benefits and risks of each individual GMO (http://www.fao.org). This calls for a cautions case by case approach to address legitimate concerns for biotechnology of each product or process prior to its release . However FAO is also aware of the concern about the potential risks passed by several aspects of biotechnologies.

World wide total area planted with transgenic crop increased from 3 million hectares (1996) to the almost 44.2 million hectares (2000). The concept of genetically modified organisms has pulled public attention due to potential risk for human or animal health. Public opinion has hesitated their increased risk or allergic reactions and risk of having unpredictable toxins that may trigger to the undesirable biochemical reactions in the recipient organisms. Moreover, recent studies imply that it may be harmful ecological consequences such as the risk of spreading genetically engineered genes to the indigenous organisms and possibility of disrupting naturals systems of pest control and increased toxicity of new engineered organisms if they are used as a source of food. The most scared side of GMO concept is creating new weed or virus strains.

There is a lack of data to evaluate the safety of GMO as a source of food. The reasons of lack of data on the safety of GMO are scarce of publication on GMO food toxicity and risk of patenting GMO crops without animal testing and complexity of evaluating the safety of GMO as a source of food.

FAO supports a science based evaluation system that would objectively determine the benefits and risks of each individuals GMO. FAO also proposes a close cooperation with World Health Organization and Codex Alimentarus commission and develop standards for foods derived from Genetic Engineering such as to consider the labeling of food derived from GMO. (http://www.uni-sz.bg)

Дата: 12.11.2007