Report of the Biosafety Panel to the CGIAR Science Council on Biosafety Policy Practices of the CGIAR Centers

The Secretariat of the Science Council of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has released a strategic study of biosafety across the CGIAR system of research centers. The main body of information that formed the basis for the study's analysis was gained from a questionnaire that was sent to the various CGIAR centers. The report finds that the CGIAR centers are using genetic engineering technology in at least 15 different crop species, creating a wide variety of species/trait combinations - all of which are still in the research stage. The report makes a number of recommendations related to biosafety, genetically modified (GM) crops, and other agricultural biotechnologies in development within the CGIAR system. Some of the recommendations also relate to how the CGIAR promotes biosafety in host and partner countries. The following are the three main messages of the report:
1) the CGIAR Centers should be more proactive in considering biosafety issues associated with the use of gene technology in food and agriculture earlier in the research phase, rather than delaying biosafety considerations until the technology enters the regulatory phase;
2) the CGIAR centers should take better advantage of their existing world-wide network of scientists, research sites, and collections of genetic resources, in order to conduct biosafety research; and
3) the Science Council should hold a workshop with representatives from the different CGIAR centers to promote joint biosafety-related activities. The 45-page report is available online at the link below.