Thu, Mar 16, 2000 page17

• GM debate gives food for thought

  SCIENCE GONE MAD Frankenfoods or solution to the world food crisis? Consumer advocates, policy makers and scientists consider the direction of Taiwan's policy toward genetically modified foods

  • By Erin Prelypchan / STAFF REPORTER
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  As governments, consumers and food producers around the world attempt to understand the implications of genetically modified (GM) foods, Taiwan is scrambling to form its own policy.

  The biggest challenge, say consumer rights advocates, government officials and scientists, is knowing the enemy -- or deciding whether GM foods are in fact an enemy at all.

  "Genetically modified foods are much like splitting the atom," said Lin Chia-ku (林佳谷), professor of public health at National Taiwan University, during a round table discussion on GM foods yesterday.

  "It's going to take us some time to figure out the technological and moral implications .... The potential benefits and drawbacks are huge," Lin said.

  The round table discussion, was held by the ROC Consumer Foundation yesterday to mark International Consumer Rights Day.

  Taiwan currently has no regulations covering GM foods.

  "Are they good or are they bad? We don't dare give an answer to that question yet," said You Ming-kuo (游明國), the foundation's vice president.

  In Europe, opposition to GM foods has been particularly strong. The EU currently has a de facto ban on all products containing GMOs pending the enactment of strict government regulations.

  Pressure from these groups resulted in a UN-sponsored agreement in Montreal in January which mandates that all international shipments of GM foods be marked.

  Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand are reviewing new legislation covering GM foods.

  No evidence currently proves that GM foods are harmful to health.

  "But if you wait until someone gets sick, then it's too late," said foundation secretary-general Chang Yue-chi (章樂綺).

  Consumer rights advocates support using the "precautionary principle" -- labelling GM foods and letting the public decide whether or not they want to buy them.

  Big agro-business -- especially in Canada and the US -- has also come out in defense of GM foods, and largely in defense of their livelihood. The Canadian and US governments initially opposed the Montreal accord earlier last year, but made concessions under international pressure.

  But consumers are not the only ones who could be affected by GM foods. Scientists and environmentalists argue that disease-resistant crops could give rise to "superweeds," or that GM organisms could upset competition in the natural environment.

  "We definitely have to worry about the whole environment when we discuss GM foods," Lin said.

  Others argue that more nutritious, disease-resistant crops could be the solution to feeding an exploding global population, especially in the underdeveloped world where resources are most scarce.

  In January, researchers at the International Rice Research Institute announced they had genetically engineered a new strain of rice rich in beta carotene, an important source of Vitamin A. Deficiency of the nutrient is the world's leading cause of blindness and affects an estimated 125 million worldwide. The GM rice uses daffodil genes to give it a brilliant yellow color.

  Shortly after that announcement, a researcher at Taiwan's Academia Sinica announced he was attempting to create high-protein rice using cow genes.

  Hardy, engineered crops would use less expensive and environmentally-hazardous pesticides and fertilizers, some say. They could even be grown in less space.

  "By 2050, it's going to be standing room only on this planet," Lin said. But the answer, he said, is not in feeding growing numbers but controlling them.

  Taiwan, however, is in a unique position in the GM food debate. A lack of UN-recognized statehood bars Taiwan from attending international conferences on the subject, so the government tends to rely on consumer NGOs for exchanging information abroad.

  And as a major importer of agricultural products, the government -- and the public -- have reason for concern. Taiwan is a major importer of soybeans, largely from the US. Last year, 40 percent of all soybeans grown in the US were genetically modified, according to the Department of Health.

  "Soybeans get turned into soy sauce, tofu, soymilk. What do we do then?" said Chen Lu-hong (陳陸宏), deputy-director of the department's food safety division.

  The department's food safety division has started a task force on the issue and has commissioned a study on the effects of the food, Chen said. A set of proposals on the issue should be ready by next month.

  Legislation, however, could prove more tricky.

  A stopgap measure could be to deal with GM foods under the Consumer Protection Law, said Wang Te-ming (王德明), a member of the Cabinet-level Consumer Protection Commission. Under the law, any product which could affect public health must be clearly marked or its manufacturers face a fine of NT$1.5 million.

  "We could have put GM foods into that law, but that would only have covered labelling. We need something more comprehensive than that," Chen said.
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