We live in an era characterized by the hegemony of science and technology, an era fraught with questions awaiting answers which would enable a safe and sustainable future for humankind. The development of agro-industrial processes - food products in particular - through recombinant DNA technology has enhanced the profit prospects of the few big biotechnology companies and of large-scale farmers who have access to the latest technological developments. We thus oppose a moratorium on recombinant DNA technology. Moreover, hasty statements about risk-free transgenics may be misleading in the absence of extensive safety tests. There is a pressing need for the establishment of a biosafety policy in this country involving the organized civil society and every government agency responsible for monitoring such matters. There is also the need to put in place a bio-surveillance and a code of ethics regarding genetic manipulation.
biosafety; transgenic foods; biotechnology; the precautionary principle; substantial equivalence; bio-surveillance program