An international understanding restraining the use of techniques to make plants sterile is being challenged by a small group of countries that includes New Zealand. Decisions are
scheduled to take place in late March.The techniques in question involve genetically engineering sterility into plants, and are
known as Genetic Use Restriction Technologies (GURTs). They are considered to pose significant risks that are as yet poorly understood. The potential effects are sufficiently
serious that a consensus recommendation was reached by parties to the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) not to move ahead until the risks are adequately researched.
New Zealand is one of a small group of countries advancing the weakest interpretation of
the approach set out by the international community. Many nations are understood to
interpret the consensus as requiring that research is completed to the satisfaction of CBD
parties before any field trialling is approved. New Zealand, on the other hand, views the resolution as simply a voluntary guideline and is pushing for a “clarification” to be adopted
that would instead interpret the CBD position as allowing individual countries to set their own standards as to what is an adequate level of prior research.
Read more... New Zealand Out In Front on GM Sterile Seeds.
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