Scholars urge biosafety precautions

Scholars urge biosafety precautions

JAKARTA (JP): Scholars questioned yesterday whether Indonesia
was ready to face the repercussions of an oncoming era of genetic
engineering, distant though the prospect may seem.

"We cannot exclude ourselves from it, but we can prepare for
the unknown by taking precautionary action," said Hari Hartiko
from the office of the State Minister of Environment.

Addressing the second day of a three-day conference on
"Observing Indonesia's Sustainable Development Facing the 21st
Century", Hari called for the establishment of laws to regulate
genetic engineering activities, and a national commission to
oversee it.

There are sharply differing opinions about genetically
engineering crops for specific qualities.

The international community is drafting a biosafety protocol
to set guidelines for resource utilization. Developed countries
in the North generally have the technology to study and exploit
the developing countries' biodiverse wealth in the South.

Since genetic engineering began in the 1970s, around 2,053
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) have been created and used
either for health or agricultural purposes.

No country in the world has established clear monitoring
guidelines for genetically engineered products. Scholars have
observed that China was the most lax country while Germany
tightly monitored its genetically engineered products.

The Fourth Convention on Biological Diversity's Conference of
the Parties (COP) to be held in 1998 is expected to produce the
biosafety protocol.

"On the outside, genetic engineering may seem to enrich
biodiversity because it creates new organisms that even nature
cannot produce in such a short time. We should be cautious,
however, about the impact it may have," said Pratiwi Sudarmono, a
microbiology lecturer of University of Indonesia.

"While there is vigorous activity in the pursuit of bio-
technological advancement, our government is not yet ready to
deal with the problems," Pratiwi said in her paper. She added
that ethical repercussions relating to scientists'
responsibilities and consumer rights would also arise.

Controversy abounds because a GMO's composition can only be
controlled as long as it remains in the laboratory. Its impact or
side effects on people or the environment may not be detected for
decades.

"No one knows or is able to control its' (the organism's)
transformation into who knows what," said Dwi Andreas Santosa
from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture.

Hira Jhamtani of the Konphalindo environmental organization
said despite the controversy and hassle, there was no guarantee
that genetic engineering would secure a country's agricultural
self-sufficiency.

Soeryo Adiwibowo, a lecturer at the Bogor Institute of
Agriculture, said the so-called "genetic revolution," "green-
revolution," and "blue revolution" all had a boomerang effect.
(06)