Annotated
Bibliography Entry
Reference:
OECD 2001a
Title: Conference on New Biotechnology Food and Crops: Science,
Safety and Society, Bangkok, Thailand, July 10-12, 2001: Rapporteurs’
Report
Authors: Persley, G.J. and Low, F.C. (Conference Rapporteurs)
Publisher: OECD
Publications, 2, rue Andre-Pascal, 75775 Paris Cedex 16, France
Publication
details: December 2001, 29p
Summary
Objectives
Conference
Program
Key
Issues
Table of Contents
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Summary
This
Conference was cosponsored by OECD and the Government of the United
Kingdom in co-operation with the Food and Agriculture Organisation,
the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Environment Programme,
the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Government of Thailand.
It was attended by approximately 250 participants from 58 countries.
The
event was based on the principles of inclusiveness, transparency, openness
and independence. The Conference Chairman’s conclusions will inform
discussions in international fora. (http://www1.oecd.org/bangkok/Chairman-summary.htm)
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Objectives:
The
objectives of the Conference were:
·
To
explore, in consultation with international organizations and interested
bodies, ways to integrate the best scientific knowledge available into
the international processes for consensus building on new biotechnology1
in relation
to food and crop safety;
·
To
further the concept of open and transparent consultation with an involvement
of all stakeholders, including representatives of civil society, supported
by shared scientific understanding, which is a key component of a credible
food and crop safety system.
Opening
Themes
A
strong theme for the conference was presented by the British Deputy
Prime Minister John Prescott who called on participants to pursue their
discussions "on the basis of rational, factual and honest debate,
noting that "global problems require global solutions and global
consensus based on facts, reason, free and open discussion." Biotechnology,
he added, "has the potential to bring tremendous benefits. But
the public’s real concerns must be addressed and there must be greater
transparency of information in the labeling of GM foods."
Continuing
this theme, Suwit Khunkitti, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, emphasized
in his opening speech "the potential and the pitfalls" of
new biotechnology and new biotechnology foods. Acknowledging the wide
range of opposing views on GM foods, he drew attention to the fears
of smallholders in developing countries about the possible consequences
for their livelihoods as a result of the introduction of new biotechnology
plant and animal products. He also stressed the need for full information
for consumers.
OECD
Deputy Secretary General Herwig Schlögl said that, while individual
governments are responsible for regulating production and sale of new
biotechnology foods, they need to cooperate on an international basis
to tackle the issues raised by new biotechnology. The OECD’s role, he
explained, is to provide governments with "a platform to analyse
complex issues, using science as far as possible, and to discuss and
hopefully develop common policy approaches in order to make national
rule-making internationally consistent."
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Conference
Program
The
program focussed on three major themes:
·
Science
·
Safety:
International Consensus Building on New Biotechnology Food and Crop
Safety, including the role of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs)
·
Society:
How stakeholder views inform national and international decision-making
The plenary sessions were complemented by a series of breakout groups
that addressed the following six issues:
·
Generating
Knowledge: Scientific knowledge and its validation
·
Sharing
Knowledge: Availability of information
·
Perspectives
of Developing Countries- needs and capacity building
·
Stakeholder
Dialogue
·
Risk
communication
·
Socio-economic
impacts
Two
background papers were prepared for the conference. These covered:
Scientific issues in relation to the safety of new biotechnology food
and crops (Persley)
A review of activities of intergovernmental organizations pertaining
to safety of foods and crops derived by modern biotechnology (Köing)
This
report summarizes the plenary sessions and the discussion on the key
issues. It reflects a summary of the discussions at the conference and
is not intended to be a consensus document nor to reflect the officila
views of government delegations. This report is complementary to the
web cast of the entire meeting and the papers presented that are available
on the web site (http://www.oecd.org/bangkok/).
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Key
Issues
1.
Key Issues for Consideration:
The importance of considering the issues relating to food safety
and human nutrition, environmental impacts and benefits of foods and
crops derived from new biotechnology, as well as related issues such
as socioeconomic impacts, consumer choice, religious and ethical concerns
was widely recognised.
2.
Environmental impacts will
be influenced by the characteristics of the environment and there is
likely be a need for more case/location-specific assessments of new
biotechnology crops in different countries and regions, perhaps more
so than for foods derived from new biotechnology, which are less location
specific. This should be complemented
by environmental monitoring on the basis of internationally acceptable
guidelines to be developed for this purpose.
3.
Health impacts may be both
direct and indirect and both positive and/or negative. The evaluation
of health effects should involve toxicological, nutritional and other
effects.
4.
Capacity Building is important,
especially for emerging economies and developing countries. The needs
vary amongst countries, and cover a range of biotechnologyrelated skills,
including biosafety, establishment of regulatory frameworks, risk assessment,
technology development and evaluation, intellectual property management
and policy making.
5.
Cartegena Protocol on Biosafety:
Strengthened capacity may assist countries in ratifying and implementing
the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Although over 100 countries have
signed the protocol, at the time of the conference, only five had ratified
it. Some countries were constrained in signing or ratifying the Protocol
as they lacked the capacity and the human and financial resources necessary
to implement it.
6.
Stakeholder Dialogue: Strengthened
capacity would enable more countries and a wider range of stakeholders
to participate more effectively in national and international dialogues
and other specific stakeholder fora convened under the auspices of national
and international organizations. The range of stakeholders who need
to be involved include farmers, food processors, industries, consumers,
environmental groups, scientists and academia, regulatory authorities
and policy makers. Dialogue should take place in a transparent, open
and inclusive manner and be held early in the decision making process.
Greater access for all stakeholders to data supporting decision making
and information on new biotechnology food and crops would be beneficial
in enhancing efficiency in the dialogue. Dialogue also needs to facilitate
the exchange of experiences among countries, while bearing in mind the
cultural, scientific, and socio-economic conditions of each country,
especially in the case of developing countries.
7.
Information access and sharing:
It was recognized that all stakeholders are interested in more information
on new biotechnology and biosafety. The need for information includes
scientific/technical information, food safety and quality, environmental
impact and socio-economic impacts. The need for information to enable
consumer choice was also recognised, including through labeling of new
biotechnology foods. Some also raised other issues related to risk management,
labelling, monitoring and traceability.
8.
International regulatory harmonization,
standards and protocols: The international organizations should
continue their important work on harmonization of regulatory approaches
and the development of commonly agreed standards and protocols for measuring
risk assessment and environmental impact, with wider stakeholder participation,
and in a manner which supports existing national and regional regulatory
processes. International standard setting bodies need to ensure the
participation of developing countries at all stages of the standard
setting process. At the international level, there needs to be increased
collaboration amongst intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) responsible
for food safety, nutrition, environment, socio-economic, and ethical
considerations to provide a more holistic evaluation regime.
9.
Regulation of biotechnology:
comprehensive, rigorous, and credible regulation serves the purpose
of minimising the possibility that unsafe products will be sold or that
these products or their manufacture will mislead or cause harm to consumers
or the environment. Regulations should thereby increase consumer confidence
in new products and technologies.
10.
Substantial equivalence was
noted to be a conceptual tool in the assessment of risk. It was noted
that the use of this concept in risk assessment methodologies needed
further discussion.
11.
Precautionary approach: There
was much discussion about this term. It was debated when or how the
precautionary approach should be applied and what the term “precautionary
principle”, or simply “precaution” means. As well, the relationship
between the precautionary approach and sound science was still a matter
of debate. It was noted that further discussion regarding this issue
will need to take place.
12.
Assessment of the risks and benefits
posed by new biotechnology food and crops should be science-based.
Data supporting those assessments and regulatory approvals should be
shared wherever possible, to increase consensus about where the scientific
evidence lies. Exclusions for reasons of commercial confidentiality
should be clearly defined. The continued development of robust, science
based methods for risk/benefit
assessments and monitoring of new biotechnology foods and crops should
be encouraged so that, for example, government regulators can continue
to address their safety for human consumption and for release into the
environment. .
13.
Science should inform the policy
and decision-making processes but it cannot and should not be the
sole factor. Science can best contribute when decision-makers frame
the questions to which science may be able to provide advice, answers
or options, and identify what we know, what we do not know, and how
best we can fill in these gaps in scientific knowledge.
14.
Independent scientific investigations,
in addition to industry-sponsored research, have an important role
in contributing to understanding of the risks and benefits associated
with new biotechnology foods and crops. Such independent scientific
investigations can also assist in improving the credibility of regulatory
processes. For example, they can assist in developing improved methodologies,
techniques and protocols for measuring the constituents and the behaviour
of food and crops derived from biotechnology. The independence, transparency
and credibility of these investigations and the avoidance of conflicts
of interest in funding are especially important in developing a meaningful
two-way debate. Clear declaration of interests and transparency of funding
sources could facilitate rebuilding trust.
15.
Public interest research: Some
of the independent scientific investigations need to be publicly funded,
to increase their independence, ensure public availability of information,
and provide public goods, for example through research on orphan crops.
Given the rapid advances in the life sciences there is opportunity for
research on the long term and possible unintended effects of new biotechnology
foods and crops funded by governments, in the public interest and to
inform regulatory decisions.. Such public research would complement
private research investments that are aimed at product development and
commercialization.
16.
Benefits: There are benefits
from the safe applications of new biotechnology in addressing specific
problems in food, agriculture and the environment, in both developing
and industrial countries. Countries need to have access to new scientific
developments, the capacity to assess and regulate new biotechnology
foods and crops, including for access to export markets under applicable
trade agreements.
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OECD
2001a. Conference on New Biotechnology Food and Crops: Science, Safety
and Society, Bangkok, Thailand, July 10-12, 2001: Rapporteurs’ Report
Contents
1.
Introduction 2
2.
Plenary Theme 1: Science 4
3.
Plenary Theme 2: Safety 7
4.
Plenary Theme 3: Society 11
5.
Summary of Issues 13
Annex
A: Reports from Chairs of Breakout Groups:
I.
Scientific information and its validation 15
II.
Availability of information 17
III.
Needs of developing countries and capacity building 19
IV.
Stakeholder dialogue 21
V.
Risk and risk communication 23
VI.
Socio-economic impacts 25
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Web
site: http://www1.oecd.org/bangkok/bangkokfinalreport.PDF
