Field Testing and Commercialisation of Genetically Modified Plants in Developing Countries - Biosafety Aspects

The application of biotechnology research in developing countries has to a large extent occurred in the agricultural sector. In many of these countries traditional agriculture and plant breeding programmes are now being supplemented by genetic engineering techniques. These include tissue culture techniques to produce disease free seedlings, new formulations for animal vaccines, and more recently the development of transgenic plants. An often used benchmark for the progress of agricultural biotechnology is the number of field tests done to date. World-wide more than 3600 official field trials of genetically modified plants were conducted between 1986 and end of 1995 in more than 30 countries. More than ninety per cent of the field trials have been performed in North America and Europe. Many developing countries have to a large extent served as winter nurseries for various international seed companies. However, a larger number of developing countries are now building significant capacities in biotechnology. As a result, more and more of these countries will test transgenic crops constructed in their own national laboratories and in collaboration with research institutes in the North or International Agricultural Centres. Judging from the current development these will be crops with transgenic traits which to a greater extent address specific national needs. While the large majority of industrialized countries have biosafety regulatory procedures in place, the situation in developing countries is dramatically different. The results of a 1995 Biotechnology Advisory Center survey showed that only roughly ten percent of the developing countries had any established biosafety regulations. The situation is improving and the establishment of an international biosafety protocol under the Convention on Biological Diversity will probably increase the pressure on developing countries to establish biosafety regulatory procedures. However, it is important to note that neither an international biosafety protocol nor national regulations will of themselves facilitate the safe development of biotechnology. There must also be the national capacity to implement the regulations. THus, the capacity to regulate biotechnology through risk assessment and management is as important as the regulations themselves. Even though much of the work in building a biosafety regulatory capacity has to be done by the developing countries themselves, there is a clear need for continued assistance from international organisations