Fears of the unknown

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.