Contents - Faperta

14
Transgenic Resistance to Insects: Nature of Risk
and Risk Management
Introduction
Genetically modifi ed plants have been released worldwide, but the regulations governing
the use of transgenic plants vary considerably in different countries. Existing regulations
may be applied to the production and release of genetically modifi ed plants, but some of
these regulations may not be adequate to address the potential environmental effects of
the transgenic plants (FAO, 1986; UNIDO, 1991; Tzotzos, 1995). For genetically engineered
plants with resistance to insects to gain acceptance, decisions that address the concerns
associated with the application of biotechnology in agriculture must be science based.
Regulatory agencies should assure credibility, and use a rational basis for decision making
(Tiedje et al., 1989; Tzotzos, 1995; Sharma et al., 2002a, 2002b; Clark, 2006). Science and
legal processes are inextricably linked for regulations that evaluate biological products
for human and animal consumption. Review of any particular product should be based
on scientifi c criteria relevant to the product. Advances in biotechnology should determine
the changes that might have occurred at the molecular and biochemical levels to scrutinize
the product safety, and the effect of product modifi cation on food safety. The approach
to review biosafety of transgenic plants is constantly evolving due to new types of products
and the availability of scientifi c information. New technologies have regularly been
utilized to develop new gene pools for crop improvement, including artifi cial manipulation
of chromosome number, development of addition and substitution lines for specifi c
chromosomes, chemical and radiation treatments to induce mutations and chromosome
rearrangements, and cell and tissue culture (embryo rescue, in vitro fertilization, and protoplast
fusion) to allow recovery of interspecifi c and generic hybrids (Simmonds et al.,
1999). The genetic gains from the integration of these technologies in crop improvement