Fears of the unknown

For the first time last week, the Indonesian government was confronted with the tough decision of whether or not to give its official seal of approval to a commercial application to develop and sell transgenic products. Under pressure from non- governmental organizations, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Rizal Ramli delayed indefinitely an agreement that would have allowed American-based agrochemical and seed company Monsanto to plant cotton in South Sulawesi using seeds developed through genetic engineering.

The NGOs, which managed to convert State Minister of Environment Sonny Keraf to their way of thinking, have argued that the introduction of transgenic products into the market is still too controversial because their impacts on the environment and people's health are simply unknown. They only know that altering genes, which is what the technology is doing, would have such a big impact on the ecological system and ultimately on people's lives that it is best not to rush things.

Monsanto, through its subsidiary PT Monagro Kimia, has successfully experimented with the technology through cotton farmers in South Sulawesi. It used seeds which had been developed through genetic engineering -- essentially by removing the bad from the good genes in a seed. As a result, cotton farmers taking part in the experiment reported that productivity trebled and costs were significantly reduced.

In business, that is almost a sure recipe for a huge success. For a government desperate to restore confidence among foreign investors, the deal with Monsanto seemed too good to pass. The prospect is even more alluring given that Indonesia's massive textile industry, which is also one of the country's largest export sectors, relies almost entirely on imported cotton.

Fortunately, cool heads prevailed last week.

Worldwide, there is as yet no final word on the debate about the desirability of transgenic products. But pressure for the commercial application of the technology is growing. On Friday, for example, the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) published a report saying that biotechnology can make a big contribution to cutting world hunger and reversing a trend towards disappointing crop yields. While the report recognizes the need to take precautions against negative consequences, the FAO's message is clear that genetic engineering should be considered as a solution to world hunger.

The United States, Canada and Australia and a few other countries seem to have less qualms about applying the technology in business. Transgenic products are freely sold in their markets but consumers are fully informed of the nature of the technology involved. Europe is totally opposed to the use of these products until scientists have fully determined their safety, not only with regard to human beings but also the environment. Indeed, they have gone so far as to enact laws banning their sale.

Indonesia, like most of the rest of the developing world, is hovering somewhere between these two camps, taking a precautionary attitude while not outrightly opposing transgenic products. Some products, including imported soybeans and corn, have reportedly been sold and consumed by people in this country without the consumers being informed beforehand about their nature and potential safety hazards.

Precaution should not mean inaction, which is what the government has been doing. The rejection of the Monsanto deal last week even as the government, knowingly or not, allowed imports of transgenic products smacks of a double standard.

There is no doubt that genetic engineering has strong potential applications in commerce as well as humanitarian programs. Warnings about potential human catastrophes should not be ignored either. At this stage, fears of the unknown are still much more powerful so that it is best to remain cautious.

If Indonesia is not outrightly oppose to the concept, then the least it should do is to regulate its application. The government and the House of Representatives should introduce clear-cut laws and regulations on transgenic products to protect consumers and to protect the environment.

Monsanto had conducted its cotton experiment in South Sulawesi with almost no publicity until last week precisely because there was never any law banning or regulating the application of genetic engineering in industry. In all likelihood, there have probably been other similar transgenic experiments for other products which have escaped public detection.

The Monsanto case has provided a good opportunity for scientists and regulators alike to look into the possibility of regulating the commercial application of genetic engineering. Since Indonesia has preferred to err on the side of caution, it must now come up with a list of do's and donts with regard to the development and sale of transgenic products in this country.