Experts warn of lack of rules on genetic engineering
Experts warn of lack of rules on genetic engineering
JAKARTA (JP): Environmental experts warned on Tuesday that
Indonesia lacked regulations and precautionary principles
concerning the widespread promotion of genetic engineering
technology.
A specialist on the global environment at the State Ministry
of the Environment, Effendi Sumardja, and environmental expert
Otto Soemarwoto noted that there must be strict regulation and
precautionary measures put in place to protect consumers.
"Indonesia as a developing country is a potential market for
such products and, therefore, we need strict regulation to
protect our people," he said at a national seminar in Bandung,
West Java.
The function of such regulation, he said, would be to control
the production of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) so they
will not be detrimental to people's health or damage the
environment, including the country's biodiversity.
"Another benefit of such regulation would be that our country
would gain a strong legal basis for taking action in respect of
illegal GMOs and for refusing to issue licenses for the marketing
of such products," Effendi said.
He added that it was also aimed at developing international
cooperation to protect biodiversity.
Speaking at the same seminar, Otto Soemarwoto noted that while
genetic engineering technology promised many benefits for
mankind, the setting in place of precautionary measures was a
must.
"Don't get too carried away by the overhyping of the benefits
of this technology. Let's analyze the hype critically," he said.
According to Otto, most experts only read literature which
accorded with their personal tastes. But they often disregarded
the interests of consumers.
Otto pointed to the recent debate over transgenic technology,
noting that the debate could serve to educate consumers about the
dangers of such technology.
Transgenic technology is a method of creating higher quality
crops and stock by inserting genes, sometimes from other species,
in order to, for instance, protect the plants from pests or to
resist a specific herbicide.
Despite assurances from scientists that the products are safe,
some are dubious about their effects on health and the
environment.
Otto said that the controversy over GMOs was not about
agreeing or disagreeing with genetically-engineered products and
their benefits, but over the precautions that were required.
"There is some uncertainty about the effects of the
technology, therefore we should be careful about its impact in
the future. Precautions against long-term risks are valid," he
said.
Otto gave as an example the discovery of chlorofluorocarbon
(CFC) gas at the end of the 1920s, which was considered an ideal
industrial chemical as it was nonpoisonous, stable, inert,
noncorrosive, noninflammable and nonexplosive.
But in 1985, the Mina International Convention recognized that
the gas was eating a hole in the ozone layer, and agreed to ban
its usage. (hdn)