Genetically Modified Organisms: Politics and Sciences

1
Genetically Modified Organisms Politics and
Sciences

• Michael Wong V.L.
• (Universiti Putra Malaysia)

2
Who Decides What You Do?

• Long process before a product from a transgenic
  crop in the supermarket shelves
• Risk assessment
• Are those conducting the risk assessment truly
  honest and independent?

3
Giant Biotech. Companies vs. Good Scientists

• Quist and Chiepela (2001), Nature
• Found transgenic DNA introgresses into
  traditional maize landraces in Oaxaca, Mexico
• Contaminated by transgenic maize
• Conclusion Horizontal gene transfer

4
Politic Comes In ?

• Question the reliability of the results
• Techniques used are questioned
• Attacked and rebuttal
• Results Nature disowned the paper (BBC news)

5
Lesson We Learned

• Good scientists need support
• Standard methods required for evaluation
• Initiative needed, fund needed, and strong
  support from non-biotech. companies

6
Harmonisation of Assessment and Detection Methods

• All must use a standard method for sampling and
  detection
• Minimise error

7
Collaborative Research and Networking

• Co-operate to be stronger and more efficient
• International legal body to assist independent
  scientists

8
Knowledge Gaps

• Collaborative research to reduce knowledge gaps
  between developed, developing, and
  under-developing countries
• Access to new technologies
• Funding is needed to support such initiative

9
Government Priorities

• Varies between countries
• EU/European Federation of Biotechnology should
  help out to realise these initiative

10
Summary

• Need to have independent scientists for
  monitoring of GMO
• Need to have standard methods
• Need to have supports for such initiatives