Keeping the world safe from biotechnology

WASHINGTON - International shipments of genetically modified organisms and products derived from them - ranging from commodities such as soy beans to pharmaceuticals - could be subjected to a range of restrictions, including requirements for assessments of their social and economic impacts, under proposed terms of an international agreement on biosafety.

As delegates from more than 100 countries prepare for the final round of negotiations of the Biosafety Protocol, industry representatives and government officials involved in the negotiations warn that time is running short to remove or modify provisions that could have significant adverse effects on international trade in transgenic plants and other GMOs (see Online Links, A4). ...