Global Round table regarding Living Modified Organisms/Genetically Modified OrganismsGeneva, Switzerland 15-17 Nov. 2016

Homin JangKOREA BIOSAFETY CLEARING HOUSE

Korea’s Efforts forPublic Participation regarding LMOs/GMOs

Contents

LMOs/GMOs Status in Korea

Issues and KBCH’s Activities for Participation(PAEP)

Lessons and Way Forward in Korea

Global Round table Regarding Living/Genetically Modified OrganismsGeneva, Switzerland 15-17 Nov. 2016

LMO Consumption and R&D

· In 2015, Korea imported 10.24 mln tonnes of LMOs for FFP.2.15 mln tonnes are being imported for food, and 8 mln tonnesas feed. In the case of feed, most consist of GM corn.

· In addition, research is being conducted on more than 300events with rice, chili being close to evaluation forcommercialization.

Rice GMO

LMO import volume, 2015Annual per capita GMO consumption as food

Public Perception and Legal System for Participation

· Public perception of LMOs is negative in general, and there are strong demands for regulation with regards to labeling, importing, distribution and R&D.

Demand for regulation related to LMOs(KBCH)

· People are fundamentally very concerned about GMOs, which implies that a high participation level is demanded. Nevertheless, legally guaranteed public participation is only limited to around 30 days’ access to the evaluation results just before final decisions

Public Perception on LMOs(ConsumerKorea, 2016)

20152014

unsafesafe

don’t know

· From the 1990s, a worldwide debate regarding the safety of GMOs. Consequently, there has been a continuous raise of discussion regarding the hazards of GMOs to humans and the environment, led by NGOs.

Continued concern over GMO safety

One notable incident was the announcement of the result of Dr. Seralini’s tests on long term consumption of GM corn (2012)

1998L-tryptophane case

1998Pusztai’s potato test

1999 GM bean-based

tofu scandal

2000 Jena University’s honey bee test

2005 MON863 corn test

2012 Dr. Seralini, NK603

2013Non-approved GM wheat

discovered in the U.S.

Domestic

Overseas

2015 Dispute over

test planting of rice

2016 · Detection and destruction of

non-approved GM wheat.· 5 academic societies fear

distortion in perception of GMOs

2008Enactment of LMO ActIncrease in companies

declaring GMO-free policy

Recently, 5 domestic bioengineering societies announced a declaration for promotion of bioengineering titled “Distortion of the Nature of GMOs Feared to Deter R&D”

Demand for disclosing status of self-grown LMOs

·Korean Federation for Environmental Movement demanded Ministry of Environment to disclose data on results of LMO monitoring (2012)

Environmental monitoring

Annual trends in discovery of GM crops

Locations where GM crops were discovered

Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Environment conduct environmental monitoring of LMOs each year.

Demand for full labeling system in front of National Assembly

Demand for strengthening labeling system

Mandatory labeling system in Korea

·The current obligatory labeling system was revised after reflecting the demands of the people, and the amended one is planned to come into effect in 2017.

· Demand for full labeling system led by NGOs

Revision of labeling system

Current After Feb., 2017Top 5 raw within 5

orderObligatory labeling for

raw materialDNA residual in

final productDNA residual in final

product

·NGOs demanded disclosure of information regarding import of GMOs per company (2014), but the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety rejected the demand.·In August 2016, pursuant to the final decision of the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety disclosed information regarding “GM agricultural goods imported for food purposes per company during the past 5 years” (2016).

Demand for information disclosure

Press conference for demand of information on GMO imports per company

Demonstrations against GMO imports

·Moreover, NGOs are demanding new information measures in a way of enabling the public to comfortably understand results of risk assessments.

Demonstrations against R&D and field trial

Citizens movement against GM Rice Residents demonstrating against field trials facilities of the RDA

· NGOs and farmers protesting against GM crop cultivation andfield trials after it is disclosed by the media that rice, Korea’smain traditional crop, is being genetically modified (since 2015).

In response to this, the RDA announced that “GM crops shall not be commercialized if there is no national consensus,” but maintained the position that R&D must be continued.

Farmers strongly dissented against the fact that the Rural Development Administration had conducted field trials without discussion or consent from surrounding areas.

Behind Controversies

Lack of information on GMOs

misunderstanding

Distribution of misinformation

· Provision of basic GMO related information and domestic/overseas trends· Efforts to deliver proper and accurate information regarding GMOs through education and promotion

1

2

3

Bias · Active response to media through monitoring of domestic media· Provision of venues for communication between GMO-related experts and the public

Poor systematic mechanism to reflect opinions

· Provision of procedure to reflect the demands of the public in the system· Efforts for free communication with the public through provision of appropriate information

Lack of Knowledge

KBCH to strengthen PAEP activities

KBCH’s Activities

Holding of LMO forums and public hearings, issue of material to provide a venue for communication among government, academia, industry, NGOs and consumers.

GMO Stories: GM Animals(2015)

Publication w. media: “Reigniting the GMO Debate” (2010)

Safety-related LMO Forum“International Seminar on GM

Rice”(2010)

Promotion of information provision and communication

White Paper Biosafety JournalBiosafety portal site

(www.biosafety.or.kr)

College Students as LMO Reporters

Debate competitions For high school students

KBCH’s Activities

LMO Forum on environment monitoring

Support for establishment of legal framework regarding environmental monitoring, labeling through LMO forums and related meetings

Conference for related ministries

Identifying or Collecting Demands from the public, helping them met

Public hearing on LMO Safety Management

Try to make sure for NGO’s involved in the process

LMO information supplied by ministries with KBCH

LMO Public survey

Yearly LMO statistics release

to the media or by white

paper

Key LMO statistics delivered publicly through media

Feedback

Platform for Communication

LMO Forum seminarsOpen spaceeverybody can participate

Q&A servicesMeeting for homemakers

Providing customized information

Biosafety Journal LMO Q&A, etc.For general public

LMO Debate contest(high school students)

College Students as LMO Reporter

Biosafety Portal sitewww.biosafety.or.kr)

LMO Informing

Participation

Readers‘ Participation

Helping national LMO Policy, Institution

established

LMO Experts Meeting

Meeting onrisk assessment

Workshop

LMO Forum seminars

Leading to active participation

Establishing awareness plans and publications

revising LMO Act, institution and policies

E-learning

KBCH’s Activities for PAEP

LMO Public survey

Public Hearings

Lessens learned and way forward

· NGOs’ participation in any phases to legal institution is crucial

· BCH focal points’ potential in PEAP is huge Promote communication among stakeholders with neutral positionEnable inter-ministries’ activities surrounding LMO issues to be activated

· KBCH needs to increase collaboration between with Government Ministries in PAEP

Beyond Korea

In addition,

Asian-BCH Family(ABF)initiated by KBCH and UNEP jointed efforts

It will surely help Korea and each of countries to improve “public

participation” on LMOs

Similar challenges with each country

International collaboration needed for effective coping:

Need for regional cooperation

VS.