Innovation / rural finance products and process

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Genetically modified organisms in crop production and their effects on the environment: methodologies for monitoring and the way ahead

Expert consultation, 18–20 January 2005, Rome, Italy

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) hosted an Expert Consultation on "Genetically Modified Organisms in Crop Production and Their Effects on the Environment: Methodologies for Monitoring and the Way Ahead" from 18 to 20 January, 2005 in Rome. The main objective of the consultation was to review the scientific basis for, and procedures to establish, effective post-release monitoring of genetically modified (GM) crops and develop guidelines to strengthen member countries’ capacities to design and carry out monitoring programmes. The participants represented a wide range of expertise from research institutes, universities, international agencies, regulatory agencies, the private sector and civil society. The consultation was jointly organized by the Plant Production and Protection Division of FAO’s Agriculture Department and the Inter-Departmental Working Groups on Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture and on Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture. The experts emphasised that GM crop deployment must comprise the whole technology development process, from pre-release risk assessment to biosafety considerations and monitoring post release. The positive and negative effects of GM crops on the environment are shaped by location and context, and monitoring programmes should recognize that there are important sources of variation within and among farming systems. It should inform decision making and provide feed back to the regulatory process and policies that support the development of sustainable practices. Wherever possible, the objectives of monitoring programmes should, therefore, be nested within processes that address broader goals.

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