Business Potential for Agricultural Biotechnology - Asian Productivity ...

Business Potential for Agricultural Biotechnology Products
originates. To further strengthen biosafety regulations, a bill to deter misuse of biological agents
and toxins and to instill confidence in life science research has been drafted (www.moh.gov.sg)
and following public consultation will be passed in late 2005.
Enhanced Biosafety and Genetically Modified Food Testing Network
To ensure an effective and balanced approach in regulating agricultural products derived
from biotechnology that will help to facilitate agri-trade within the ASEAN region, Singapore
had taken the lead since 1997 in harmonizing the GM regulations within ASEAN, with the support
of the Senior Officials Meeting–ASEAN Ministers for Agriculture and Food (SOM–
AMAF).
Working hand in hand with the ASEAN member countries, Singapore organized the
ASEAN Workshop on Regulations for Agricultural Products derived from Biotechnology in
1998 to establish baseline data on national regulations implemented by various ASEAN countries
and the workshop to establish an ASEAN Task Force on the Harmonization of Regulations
for Agricultural Products Derived from Biotechnology (ATFHRAPB) to draft harmonized
guidelines. The ASEAN Guidelines on Risk Assessment of Agriculture-Related GMOs (hosted
on the website of the ASEAN Secretariat—www.aseansec.org) were completed and adopted by
AMAF in 1999. The Guidelines address the need for each country to establish its own National
Authority on Genetic Manipulation (NAGM) and the roles and responsibilities of this authority
in regulating agricultural GMOs. While the guidelines cover the procedures for notification, approval,
and registration of agriculture-related GMOs, they do not address questions of liability,
compensation, labeling, and socio-economic issues. They focus on a science-based approach to
the evaluation of applications for release of agriculture-related GMOs. Since then, SOM-AMAF
has supported extensive activities on public awareness of GMO issues in ASEAN.
Singapore has identified two key areas of current needs: capacity building in biosafety—
risk assessment and management of agriculture-related GMOs—and testing capability of GM
food, both locally and in the region due to its extensive reliance on imported agri-food and agriproducts
and the forecast for increasing agri-biotechnology activities in Asian countries such as
China and India. Using the ASEAN guidelines as a scientific basis for evaluating GMOs, an
extensive educational process was begun in 1999 following the formation of GMAC. Singapore,
in close partnership with the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), 4 has collaborated with
international food safety authorities such as Health Canada, the Australia New Zealand Food
Authority (ANZFA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and between 2000 and 2004
organized a series of workshops on safety and risk assessment of agriculture-related GMOs for
the 10 ASEAN countries in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. This has created a
cluster of at least 80 experts—policymakers, food regulators, and public and private researchers—for
GM assessment and management within ASEAN.
The ASEAN Genetically Modified Food Testing Network was established in 2003 with the
objective of helping ASEAN member countries to better utilize the expertise and available
resources in the region and to gain better access to information on developing testing capabilities
for GM food. This GM food testing network will see the adoption in the coming years of reference
methods and materials that are internationally recognized for use in GM food testing in
ASEAN and resource sharing and expertise exchange between ASEAN and external agencies
4 The International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), headquartered in Washington D.C., is a nonprofit worldwide
foundation established in 1978 to advance the understanding of scientific issues relating to nutrition, food safety,
toxicology, risk assessment, and the environment. ILSI collaborates with leading international health and development
organizations in projects that encourage global cooperation. It has non-governmental organization
(NGO) status with the World Health Organization (WHO) and a special consultative status with the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. ILSI Southeast Asia is one of 15 overseas branches of
ILSI. Established in 1993, it serves as a regional branch currently overseeing programs in the ASEAN region as
well as Australia and New Zealand.
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