Commercial Release of Genetically Modified Crops in Africa: Interface Between Biosafety Regulatory Systems and Varietal Release Systems

Biosafety: evaluation and regulation of genetically modified (GM) crops in the United States

This review of the safety assessment of genetically modified (GM) crops is focused primarily on the process and progress in the United States (US). It reviews the development of the safety evaluation process from the Asilomar conference in 1975 considering issues relevant to recombinant DNA technology, to discussions between the tested and evaluated commercial release for food and feed producti...

Biosafety and Detection of Genetically Modified Organisms

Regulatory options for genetically modified crops in India.

The introduction of semi-dwarfing, high-yielding and nutrients-responsive crop varieties in the 1960s and 1970s alleviated the suffering of low crop yield, food shortages and epidemics of famine in India and other parts of the Asian continent. Two semi-dwarfing genes, Rht in wheat and Sd-1 in rice heralded the green revolution for which Dr. Norman Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 19...

The release of genetically modified crops into the environment. Part II. Overview of ecological risk assessment.

Despite numerous future promises, there is a multitude of concerns about the impact of GM crops on the environment. Key issues in the environmental assessment of GM crops are putative invasiveness, vertical or horizontal gene flow, other ecological impacts, effects on biodiversity and the impact of presence of GM material in other products. These are all highly interdisciplinary and complex iss...

The Costs of Regulatory Delays for Genetically Modified Crops

The timely and efficient commercialization of innovation is one of industry’s principal needs if it is to invest in research and development within a given jurisdiction. Increasing regulatory requirements are resulting in longer regulatory approval times, and in some cases where socio-economic considerations are now part of the regulatory approval process, the regulatory system has been put int...