130 nations adopt new living organism norms

Around 130 countries have adopted new guidelines for determining whether a living modified organism (LMO) poses a hazard to plants.

This will now become the norms for international trade in LMOs.

The guidelines, evolved by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), were endorsed by the interim commission on phytosanitary measures in April.

After their adoption by adequate number of countries, these have now been formally published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation as globally accepted norms.

Phytosanitary measures that conform to the IPPC standards are deemed necessary to protect plant life and plant health. Besides, the World Trade Organisation also refers to the IPPC standards in the case of disputes concerning plant health.

The new guidelines harmonise and standardise the way countries analyse risks that the LMOs might pose to plant health.

These are of special significance for the developing countries which could now use the same risk analysis criteria as the developed countries and form them the basis for prohibiting or restrict the import and domestic use of the LMOs.

Though the transboundary movement of the LMOs and the issues related to their safe transfer, handling and use are addressed, in general, by the Cartagena Protocol on the LMOs, the IPPC's role is confined to preventing the introduction and spread of pests and weeds of plant products.

As such, the new guidelines will help determine whether a genetically engineered plant or other living being is a weed (unwanted plant).

LMOs are defined, for this purpose, as any living organisms that possess a new combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology.

They are a sub-set of genetically modified organisms.

Genetically altered seeds, cuttings and tissue culture materials are considered living parts of the plants and are, therefore, treated as LMOs under these guidelines.

They also cover LMOs such as insects, fungi and bacteria that could be harmful to plants.

Internationally accepted guidelines will help the countries to reduce the risks of releasing LMOs that are weedy and could seriously harm the crop and plant ecosystems, said a statement issued by the IPPC on the new LMO risk assessment tool.

These will also help the countries to distinguish between weeds and other organisms which could damage plants.