The Biosafety Protocol to the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was adopted in January 2000, by the 176 nations that are parties to the CBD. Not having ratified the CBD, the United States participated in the negotiations as anobserver, but nevertheless was an active participant in the discussions. The Protocol addresses a major area of concern that was not resolved by the parent CBD in 1992— the safe handling, transfer and trade of biological organisms. In recent years, this issue has gained new prominence — and controversy — as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have become widely used as agricultural crops, and have become the focus of concern by U.S. trading partners and citizens around the world. WhileGMOs are widely used in U.S. crops, citizens and governments in many countries,particularly in Europe, have questioned the environmental and health safety of such products, and have rejected them in the marketplace…
Biosafety Protocol for Genetically Modified Organisms: Overview
- April 8, 2011
- | Filed under North America, Report, and 2001-2025
