9Biotechnology and International Trade Regime: Options before Developing Countries

In recent past, adoption and diffusion of biotechnology has raised several policy challenges for the governance of this technology especially in the developing countries due to rapid expansion of the biotechnology industry. These countries have been strategically strengthening capacity, infrastructure and expertise in regulation and commercialization of biotechnology particularly in the areas where rich bioresources are utilized. The applications of this technology, both in pharmaceuticals and agriculture, are finding new vistas of economic growth for developing countries. Illegal introduction of GM products, threat of overexploitation of natural resources (their biomolecules and genes), potential risks to environment and global contention on the technology has confounded the prevailing confusion on some of the intricate issues linked to the trade and biosafety of GMOs. However, the position taken by the civil society organizations and some of the national governments especially from Europe and Africa have highlighted the growing polarization on this issue. These discussions have important implications not only for developed countries which are major exporters of GM goods but also for some of the developing countries which have infuse