(Last of 6 parts)

Q19: What further development can be expected in the area of GMOs?

Future GM organisms are, likely to include plants with improved disease or drought resistance, crops with increased nutrient levels, fish species with enhanced growth characteristics and plants or animals producing pharmaceutically important proteins such as vaccines. At the international level, the response to new developments can found in the expert consultations organized by FAO and WHO in 2000 and 2001, and the subsequent work of the Codex ad hoc Task Force on Food Derived form Biotechnology. This work has resulted in an improved and harmonized framework for the risk assessment of GM foods in general. Specific questions, such as the evaluation of allergenecity of GM foods or the safety of foods derived form GM animals in 2003.

Q20: What is WHO doing to improve the evaluation of GM foods?

WHO will take an active role in relation to GM foods, primarily for two reasons: (1) on the grounds that public health could benefit enormously from the potential of biotechnology, for example, form an increase in the nutrient content of foods, decreased allergenecity and more efficient food production; and (2) based on the need to examine the potential negative effects on human health of the consumption of food produced through genetic modification, also at the global level. It is clear that modern technologies must be thoroughly evaluated if they are to constitute a true improvement in the way food is produced. Such evaluations must be holistic and all-inclusive, and cannot stop at the previously separated, noncoherent systems of evaluation focusing sorely on human health or environmental effects in isolation.

Work is therefore under way in WHO to present a broader view of the evaluation of GM foods in order to enable the consideration of other important factors. This more holistic evaluation of GM organisms and GM products will consider not only safety but also food security, social and ethical aspects, access and capacity building. International work in this new direction presupposes the involvement to other key international organizations in this area. As a first step, the WHO Executive Board will discuss content of a WHO report covering this subject in January. The report is being developed in collaboration with other key organizations notably FAO an the United Nations Environmental Program. It is hoped that this report could form the basis for a future initiative toward a more systematic coordinated, multiorganizational and international evaluation of certain GM foods.