Confined field trials and regulation of genetically engineered plants
Abstract
Varietal trial of a non-transgenic experimental material generated from modern or traditional plant breeding methods can be tested in any region that suits the respective crop without any confinement. However, a transgenic experimental material developed following genetic engineering (GE) requires its testing in confinement to assess its safety as human food/commercial use/animal feed or to determine its impact on ecology and environment. Given the gravity of impact, a genetically engineered crops are developed following, several guidelines, rules, Acts, framed by the countries involved in transgenic research. One such guideline in the Indian context is “Guidelines for Research in Transgenic Crops, 1998” and international guidelines in India are abstracted from Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Cartagena protocol. These guidelines set out rules and procedures to regulate genetically engineered (GE) crop field trials. In India there are regulatory bodies from the ministry level to local level (districts and research institution) that execute, monitor and authorise the use of GE plants or animals. The GE crop/are raised in “confined field trials” (CFT) with the objectives to collect data on its potential threat to environment, impact as feed and food of livestock and human respectively. In India CFTs are conducted on a case-by-case basis; no generalised protocols are applied to all types of GE crops under trial. While the regulation of GE crops is “process” based and “product” based in European Union (EU) and USA respectively.