More than 170 countries are meeting in Cartagena, Colombia, this week and early next week to draft and then ratify the first international protocol on moving genetically modified organisms across borders, Timothy Pratt writes from Cali.
Convened by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a UN charter signed in the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, the meeting happens to coincide with the wave of controversy on the issue currently sweeping Europe.
So far, the issue has sharply divided both countries and NGO and industry observer groups. Africa, led by Ethiopia, some Latin American countries, Malaysia and many NGOs are concerned about the social and economic effects of introducing biotechnology into their predominantly rural cultures.
They are also addressing the topic of liability for any accidents which may occur. For example, if genes from a genetically engineered crop such as wheat escape into the wild, related species could be turned into a sort of super-weed. They urge tighter regulations to protect human health and the environment.
A coalition led by the US, Canada, Argentina, Australia and Mexico is concerned that a too-tight protocol would restrict trade. Sources close to the negotiations observe that Argentina and Canada are particularly unified in their opposition to efforts towards segregating transgenic products such as soya beans, alleging that such a measure would increase handling, storage and transport costs by as much as 20 per cent.
The EU holds a position somewhere in the middle, trying to protect public concerns over importing products derived from genetically engineered organisms as well as leaving open the possibility of future exports in this area.