Policy Choices for Biotech Legislative Enactments: Genetic Modifications in the Food Chain

Abstract

Perhaps the highest impact advancements from science over the last half a century are the applications of biology and computer sciences. However, the regulatory aspect of biotechnology is contentious, and it is at a stage of development. This paper covers the current issues on regulatory aspects of genetically modified (GMO) foods, and it examines the regulation of the nations who have biotechnological ability and a history of GMOs for both food and other product crops. There are some fundamental jurisdictional differences between GMOs and non-GM foods. GMOs are patentable in many jurisdictions, whereas the path to patent for conventional crops is more difficult as many have been in production for decades. A patent gives exclusive rights to a GMO patentee, whereas others do not have this right. NonGM seeds typically can be planted, replanted, saved, or sold by farmers, but farmers do not have these same rights with GM seeds. GM plants or crops have cross-pollination effects and some say that they contaminate non-GM crops (foods too), which is not usually an issue with non-GM plants. This paper critically examines regulation on the risk assessment and commercialization process of genetically modified crops/foods in Canada, US and EU. It further looks at related cross-cutting issues such as precautionary principle, labelling GM foods, public participation and transparency in the decision making process and other cross-cutting issues such as co-existence between GM crops and non-GM crops, AP, liability, GM animal; and it discusses policy choices for legislative enactments focusing Canada. It has comparative approach and it offers biotech policy choices.