2008-04-10
粮农组织关于生物技术的声明
生物技术为可持续农业、渔业和林业发展以及为食品加工业提供强有力的手段。当生物技术与其它技术适当结合起来生产食物、农产品及服务时，能够大大有助于满足下一个千年不断增加和日益城市化的人口的需要。
有范围广泛的各种”生物技术”，采用不同技术和方法。《生物多样性公约》对生物技术的定义是：”利用生物系统、活生物体或者其衍生物为特定用途而生产或改变产品或过程的任何技术应用”。
广义生物技术涉及农业和粮食生产中普遍采用的多种手段和技术。而狭义生物技术据认为仅指DNA新技术、分子生物和繁殖技术应用，涉及各种不同技术，如动植物基因操作和转基因、DNA分类和克隆。
虽然关于生物技术及其应用的许多方面没有什么争议，但是关于遗传修饰生物的辩论则非常激烈。粮农组织认为遗传工程具有帮助提高农业、林业和渔业产量及生产力的潜力。遗传工程可能使今天不能生产足够粮食养活其人民的那些国家的贫瘠土地提高产量。已经有一些例子说明，遗传工程通过新的疫苗有助于减少人畜疾病的传播。对水稻进行遗传工程处理以包含原维生素A（β胡萝卜素）和铁，这可能改进许多低收入群体的健康。
其它生物技术方法已经产生了改进食物质量和一致性的生物体或者在脆弱生态系统中清理漏油和重金属的生物体。组织培养生产的植物，通过向农民提供更加健康的种植材料而提高作物单产。分子辅助选择和DNA指纹技术能够更快和更加明确地发展所有生物品种的改良基因型。它们还提供新的研究方法，有助于生物多样性的保护和特性描述。新技术将使科学家能够认识到确定数量特性基因座，从而提高繁殖效率，解决一些历来很难解决的农学问题如耐旱及改进根系等。
然而，粮农组织还意识到对于某些生物技术方面所引起的潜在风险的关注。这些风险大致分成两类：对人畜健康的影响及环境影响。必须注意减少将毒素从一种生命形式转移到另一种生命形式的风险，减少产生新毒素或者将过敏复合物从一个品种转移到另一个品种的风险，因为这可能导致意外的过敏反应。环境风险包括远交的可能性，远交可能导致杂草或野生亲缘种更加迅速生长，其抗病性增强或者环境危害增大，破坏生态系统平衡。由于少量遗传修饰栽培种取代传统栽培种，生物多样性可能丧失。
粮农组织支持以科学为依据的评价系统，这种系统明确确定每个遗传修饰生物的利益和风险。这需要采取一种谨慎的逐项方法来处理每个产品或过程发放之后的生物安全的法律问题。需要对生物多样性、环境和食品安全的可能影响进行评价，对产品和过程的利益超过其风险的程度进行评估。评价过程还应当考虑到国家管理部门在发放这种产品方面所取得的经验。对于这些产品或过程的发放之后的影响进行认真监测也很有必要，以确保其对人类、动物和环境的持续安全。
目前生物技术研究方面的投资集中在私营部门，面向有产品购买力的高收入国家的农业。鉴于生物技术具有增加粮食供应及解决粮食不安全和易受害问题的潜在作用，粮农组织认为应努力确保发展中国家，特别是资源贫乏农民从生物技术研究获取更大利益，而同时继续获得各种遗传材料来源。粮农组织认为，可通过增加公共供资及公共部门与私营部门之间的对话来满足这一需要。
粮农组织继续帮助其成员国，特别是发展中国家从农业、林业和渔业领域的生物技术应用，例如涉及33个国家的拉丁美洲及加勒比海植物生物技术网络获取利益。本组织还帮助发展中国家更加有效和公平地参加国际商品和食品贸易。粮农组织提供技术信息和援助，并对全球主要新技术发展问题进行社会经济和环境分析。一旦需要，粮农组织即作为一个”诚实中间机构”提供讨论论坛。
例如，粮农组织与世界卫生组织共同为食品法典委员会提供秘书处，食品法典委员会刚刚设立了一个生物技术食品政府间特设工作组，各国政府指定的专家将在该工作组内制定关于生物技术食品或者通过生物技术方法将特性引入食品的标准、准则或建议。食品法典委员会还正在考虑生物技术食品的标签问题，使消费者能够在知情的情况下作出选择。
另一个例子是，粮农组织粮食和农业遗传资源委员会是一个常设政府间论坛。在这一论坛，各国正在制定生物技术行为守则，旨在尽可能增加现代生物技术的利益，减少风险。该守则将以科学为基础，并将考虑到生物技术的环境、社会经济和道德影响。如同在药物方面的应用情况一样，对这些道德问题需要负责任地加以考虑。因此，本组织正在努力建立一个国际粮食和农业领域道德专家委员会。
粮农组织正在不断努力确定关于应用现代技术以增加动植物生产力和产量的潜在利益和可能的风险。然而，制定这些技术的政策的责任在于成员国政府本身。
Original text:
Press Release 00/17
FAO STRESSES POTENTIAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY BUT CALLS FOR CAUTION
Rome, 15 March - Biotechnology provides powerful tools for the sustainable development of agriculture, fisheries and forestry and can be of significant help in meeting the food needs of a growing and increasingly urbanized population, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in its first statement on biotechnology, published today. In the case of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), however, FAO called for “a cautious case-by-case approach to determine the benefits and risks of each individual GMO” and to address the “legitimate concerns for the biosaftey of each product and process prior to its release.”
The statement was published on the occasion of the ‘Codex Alimentarius Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology’, meeting in Chiba/Japan (14-17 March). The objectives of the Task Force are to develop standards, guidelines or recommendations, as appropriate, for foods derived from biotechnologies or traits introduced into foods by biotechnological methods.
Together with the World Health Organization, FAO provides the secretariat to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which is an intergovernmental body with 165 member countries. It protects the health of consumers, ensures fair practices in food trade and promotes the coordination of food standards.
FAO recognized that genetic engineering has the potential to help increase production and productivity in agriculture, forestry and fisheries. It could lead to higher yields on marginal lands in countries that today cannot grow enough food to feed their people, the agency said. FAO also pointed out that “there are already examples where genetic engineering is helping to reduce the transmission of human and animal diseases through new vaccines. Rice has been genetically engineered to contain pro-vitamin A (beta carotene) and iron, which could improve the health of many low-income communities.”
Other biotechnological methods have led to organisms that improve food quality and consistency, or that clean up oil spills and heavy metals in fragile ecosystems.
Tissue culture has produced plants that are increasing crop yields by providing farmers with healthier planting material. Marker-assisted selection and DNA fingerprinting allow a faster and much more targeted development of improved genotypes for all living species. They also provide new research methods which can assist in the conservation and characterization of biodiversity.
However, FAO said, it is aware of the concern about the potential risks posed by certain aspects of biotechnology that could have effects on human and animal health and the environment.
“Caution must be exercised in order to reduce the risks of transferring toxins from one life form to another, of creating new toxins or of transferring allergenic compounds from one species to another, which could result in unexpected allergic reactions. Risks to the environment include the possibility of outcrossing, which could lead, for example, to the development of more aggressive weeds or wild relatives with increased resistance to diseases or environmental stresses, upsetting the ecosystem balance. Biodiversity may also be lost, as a result of the displacement of traditional cultivars by a small number of genetically modified cultivars, for example.”
FAO called for a science-based evaluation that would objectively determine the benefits and risks of each individual GMO. “The possible effects on biodiversity, the environment and food safety need to be evaluated, and the extent to which the benefits of the product or process outweigh its risks assessed. The evaluation process should also take into consideration experience gained by national regulatory authorities in clearing such products. Careful monitoring of the post-release effects of these products and processes is also essential to ensure their continued safety to human beings, animals and the environment.”
Investment in biotechnological research tends to be concentrated in the private sector and oriented towards agriculture in higher-income countries where there is purchasing power for its products, FAO said. “In view of the potential contribution of biotechnologies for increasing food supply and overcoming food insecurity and vulnerability, efforts should be made to ensure that developing countries, in general, and resource-poor farmers, in particular, benefit more from biotechnological research, while continuing to have access to a diversity of sources of genetic material. FAO proposes that this need be addressed through increased public funding and dialogue between the public and private sectors.”
FAO assists its member countries, particularly developing countries, to reap the benefits derived from the application of biotechnologies through, for example, the network on plant biotechnology for Latin America and the Caribbean (REDBIO), which involves 33 countries. The Organization also assists developing countries to participate more effectively and equitably in international commodities and food trade. FAO provides technical information and assistance, as well as socio-economic and environmental analyses, on major global issues related to new technological developments.
The FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, a permanent intergovernmental forum, is developing a Code of Conduct on Biotechnology aimed at maximizing the benefits of modern biotechnologies and minimizing the risks. The Code will be based on scientific considerations and will take into account the environmental, socio-economic and ethical implications of biotechnology. FAO is also working towards the establishment of an international expert committee on ethics in food and agriculture.
FAO emphasized, however, that the responsibility for formulating policies towards biotechnologies rests with the member governments themselves.
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