GMO's for food,feed and processing: is the legal framework effective?
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Date
2013-02-20
Authors
Chitalu, Humphrey Matuta
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Abstract
The problem is that biotechnology and its GMOs products has moved at such a dizzying pace that neither the law nor regulating authorities can keep up with it. Researchers warn that there are no long-term, large scale tests to prove the biosafety of the GMOs. GMOs biosafety is a concept that refers to the need to protect human health and the environment from the possible adverse
effects of the products of modem biotechnology. At the same time, modem biotechnology is recognized as having a great potential for the promotion of human wellbeing, particularly in meeting critical needs for food, agriculture and health care.
This study was intended to provide a basic and balanced understanding of the GMO issue, the current debateand the particular issues of regulation and responsible environmental action that arise from it. To achieve this objective, an examination of the national biosafety legal framework was performed in comparison with such similar regional and international frameworks and established that the Zambian system is effective for GMO biosafety regulatory aspects. It is common ground that harmonization of international, regional and national regulatory frameworks should focus on the issues of strengthening capacities and information sharing for
biotechnology safety. Zambia must acquire technology and capacities necessary to sustainably handle the challenges of modem biotechnology.Setting up an effective national regulatory framework demands for harmonization at the national level all the institutions dealing with the regulatory issues.
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Government policy--Zambia , Food industry and trade