Scientific Conference 2012: Advancing the Understanding of Biosafety

About the Book

This is a compilation of papers from the second Scientific Conference jointly organised by the European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility (ENSSER), Tara Foundation and Third World Network (TWN), in conjunction with the 6th Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP6) in Hyderabad, India, in 2012.

The main aim of the conference was to advance the current understanding of biosafety in terms of the ecological, human health and socio-economic implications of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Another aim was to inform the delegates at COP-MOP6 about the current scientific challenges in biosafety research and assessment.

Topics covered by the conference included:

• Developments in GMO risk assessment, including discussion of the international standards on risk assessment in the context of the Cartagena’s Protocol’s ‘Roadmap for Risk Assessment and Management’
• Socio-economic considerations in GMO decision-making
• Latest scientific findings generated from independent biosafety research

Contents

Foreword        

Key Issues for COP-MOP6         

Systemic Risks of Genetically Modified Crops: The Need for New Approaches to Risk Assessment               

Advancing Risk Assessment under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety      

Socio-Economic Considerations in GMO Decision-Making    

Flaws of ‘Comparative Safety Assessment’ as Developed by EFSA      

Analysis of Risk Assessment Strategies for Genetically Engineered Plants Used for Food and Feed in the EU      
Intellectual Property Rights and Research Restriction      

Human Cell Toxicity of Pesticides Associated with Wide-Scale Agricultural GMOs      

Sources and Mechanisms of Health Risks from Genetically Modified Crops and Foods    

Genetic Engineering and the Big Challenges for Agriculture – Lessons from the United States    

Erring on the Side of Caution: A Case for Increased Regulatory Oversight of Genetically Modified Organisms in the United States    

Transgene Flow into Native Seed and Ecosystems in Mexico    

Bt Eggplant Field Trials and Biosafety Regulations in the Philippines    

Field-Resistance of the African Maize Stem Borer to Bt Maize: What Did We Learn?    

Influence of the Fast Spread of Bt Cotton on Organic Cotton Production: Examples from India and Burkina Faso    

Interrogating the Science of Safety: Unknown Aspects of Bt Toxin that Continue to Pose a Threat to the Health of Domestic Animals in India    

Technology, Liberalisation and Farmer Suicides in Vidarbha (Maharashtra State, India)    

Ecological Agriculture for Food Security and Climate Resilience    

Early Warning on Food Safety Issues: How Regulators Got It Wrong on dsRNA    

If Not GM and Factory Agriculture, What and Who Will Nourish the World?    

Conference Programme