Awareness programme on biosafety conducted for university and school students in Kandy

Colombo - Public awareness on Biosafety is an integral part of the implementation of the National Biosafety Framework in Sri Lanka. Participation of the general public is part of decision making when it comes to releasing genetically modified organisms into the environment and for human consumption. Article 23 of the Cartagena Protocol, which Sri Lanka signed in 2000 and ratified in 2004 mentions “consult the public in the decision-making process regarding living modified organisms and shall make the results of such decisions available to the public.”

Public awareness on biosafety is an important component of the ongoing biosafety project implemented by FAO and the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment. The object is knowledge development, public awareness, education and participation. All these aspects are interdependent. For instance, integrating biosafety into the national curriculum is important for students to associate the safety aspect when they learn modern biotechnology. Understanding biosafety involves understanding the technology of genetic engineering to a certain extent.

The basis of biosafety involves risk assessment, risk management and risk communication collectively called risk analysis. People deserves to know if the GM food available in the market are safe for human consumption. For them to assure that, they should know for what safety aspect (e.g. allergenicity) the food is tested and how those testing were done. Besides people deserve the choice to decide between GM versus non-GM, so the products of modern biotechnology must be labelled.

Bt Corn is a GM variety that is toxic to certain pests but not for humans. Since Bt Corn produces a toxic protein for pests, farmers don’t have to use pesticide for those pests thereby reducing the amount of pesticides sprayed to the plant. However, people should know how safe it is for human consumption since Bt Corn is genetically modified. The new protein in Bt corn is digested in the human gut similar to any other human protein and this is scientifically proven through the risk assessment. Although this information seems technical and scientific, it is simple enough for public to understand the underlying basis behind the safety of Bt Corn.

The public awareness of biosafety through the National Biosafety Project involves sharing of electronic and printed material with information about biotechnology and biosafety. These material highlight the biosafety aspect by focusing on the risk analysis processes, which make sure that the GM products developed  for human consumption and released to the environment are proven to be safe. The information for these material are obtained from reliable sources. For instance, one material shared information on GM food provided by the World Health Organization. Another had information from five experts from national institutions and universities on GM crops and GM food.

Prior to conducting awareness activities, the biosafety project conducted a baseline survey to comprehend the understanding among several stakeholder groups on genetically modified organisms and biosafety. This baseline survey which included focus group discussions, key informant interviews and a questionnaire allowed to realize many misunderstandings and misconceptions among stakeholders. For instance, some people think that the products of conventional biotechnology like the vegetables produced through cross-breeding are genetically modified. It is true that GM crops look similar to the non-GM counterparts. But, at the molecular level they are different since they are produced through two different methods. The information collected through this survey is being used  to prepare the biosafety communication strategy.

the project also conducted an awareness workshop for undergraduates of the University of Peradeniya and secondary school children (O-level and A-level) from 10 schools in Kandy. “Biosafety was simply a word to me. I have heard it before, but never knew what it meant. After taking part in the biosafety workshop, now I have a clear understanding on this subject” said one of the participants at the end of this awareness workshop. This was just one feedback. There were many participants who expressed their gratitude for making them acquainted with the subject of biosafety. Most of these students, especially A-level students had an understating on biotechnology. But, the concept of biosafety was definitely a new one for almost all the participants. This workshop allowed them to comprehend the subject of biosafety through a documentary, presentations and discussions. While students were learning biosafety, the National Biosafety project team was able to comprehend the level of understanding on this subject among students. This information was another data point in the data set we gathered during the baseline survey.

Whether people prefer to use GMOs or avoid them, it is a personal choice. However, misinformation and misconception about GMOs may lead to dire consequences in decision making. Therefore, it is important that the public is well aware about the modern biotechnology, its products and biosafety. Especially when it comes to approval of a GMO in the country, since public participation is mandatory, it is crucial that people provide comments on the use of GMOs based on science and not on their opinion. Therefore, knowledge development and awareness on biosafety among all stakeholder groups is essential towards successful implementation of the national biosafety framework in Sri Lanka.

Wriiten by Mr. Shanaka Gunawardene, National Project Manager, National Biosafety Project