Presenter Information

Wen Xiang, Ghent University, Belgium

Location

Room 205

Start Date

4-7-2012 1:15 PM

End Date

4-7-2012 4:45 PM

Description

Biotechnology may provide a variety of societal benefits but may also threaten established interests and values, and human and environmental well-being. The safety of GM crops and foods is an issue that causes great public concern and stringent regulation in European countries and several developing countries. Risk governance of GMOs is required to facilitate the commercialization of the biotechnology and also to act as a mechanism of controlling potential risk.

It is generally recognized that the governance shall be done on the basis of a risk analysis framework. Risk analysis can be broadly defined as an integrated process consisting of three major components: risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. In the case of GMOs, risk assessment is a scientific process to estimate the impact on the environment, as well as the risks to human life and health, associated with the use of a particular GMO or its products. The risk management mainly deals with methods or particular regulations for prevention, reduction or elimination of these risks. Risk assessment and risk management have to be implemented along with risk communication, which involves all interested stakeholders and allows for a robust information exchange between regulators, private sectors and public. The author argues that liability shall be included as a fourth part of risk governance, because risk analysis mainly copes with probability of risk, but liability deals with reality when risks turn out to be true.

The risk governance framework of GMOs in China will be examined in this paper, and the four components of risk governance: risk assessment, risk management and risk communication and liability will be analyzed respectively. The paper argues that independence of risk assessment, transparence and effectiveness of risk management, effective platform of risk communication and appropriateness of liability regime shall be taken into account to improve the risk governance of GMOs in China and help promote a better regulation of GMOs towards a sustainable society.

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Jul 4th, 1:15 PM Jul 4th, 4:45 PM

Risk Governance of Genetically Modified Organisms in Europe and China

Room 205

Biotechnology may provide a variety of societal benefits but may also threaten established interests and values, and human and environmental well-being. The safety of GM crops and foods is an issue that causes great public concern and stringent regulation in European countries and several developing countries. Risk governance of GMOs is required to facilitate the commercialization of the biotechnology and also to act as a mechanism of controlling potential risk.

It is generally recognized that the governance shall be done on the basis of a risk analysis framework. Risk analysis can be broadly defined as an integrated process consisting of three major components: risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. In the case of GMOs, risk assessment is a scientific process to estimate the impact on the environment, as well as the risks to human life and health, associated with the use of a particular GMO or its products. The risk management mainly deals with methods or particular regulations for prevention, reduction or elimination of these risks. Risk assessment and risk management have to be implemented along with risk communication, which involves all interested stakeholders and allows for a robust information exchange between regulators, private sectors and public. The author argues that liability shall be included as a fourth part of risk governance, because risk analysis mainly copes with probability of risk, but liability deals with reality when risks turn out to be true.

The risk governance framework of GMOs in China will be examined in this paper, and the four components of risk governance: risk assessment, risk management and risk communication and liability will be analyzed respectively. The paper argues that independence of risk assessment, transparence and effectiveness of risk management, effective platform of risk communication and appropriateness of liability regime shall be taken into account to improve the risk governance of GMOs in China and help promote a better regulation of GMOs towards a sustainable society.