| 초록 |
New breeding method by genetic engineering is expected as a key technology to solvefood shortage due to the growing world population in the year 2000s. Many genetically modifiedorganisms (GMOs) were already developed and the commercial cultivation had started. The firstGMO, Flavr Savr tomato, which roted at a much slower pace than ordinary ones, was developed inUS in 1994. Since then, over than 70 diferent agricultural products including corn, cotton, soybean,papaya, potato, and squash made with genetically modified plants are reportedly on sale worldwide.Supporters favor the GMOs because they have greater yields, longer shelf lives and stronger resis-tance to disease and insects. On the other hand, opponents say that the supporters ignore a poten-tial danger that they may damage the environment as wel as human beings. To assure the safedevelopment and use of GMOs as food and other biotech products, the possible risks on biologicalenvironment and human health should be throughly examined and regulated by developer and gov-ernment. Because the biosafety problem is a global, environmental, and trade issue, a new interna-tional treaty is under development. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was adopted at the 1stExtraordinary Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity which was held at Mont-real, Canada, Jan. 29th, 2000. The adoption of the Protocol is seen as a breakthrough in that it isbased on the 'Precautionary Principle' despite scientific uncertainties surrounding potential risks thatGMOs may inflict on human health and the environment and that it has laid the ground for introduc-tion of specific steps to handle international trading of GMOs. In this paper, the authors would like tointroduce the current status and perspective of environmental and human risk assessment of GMOs. |
