The Use of GM Crops in Developing Countries
The Codex Alimentarius
5.5 The Codex Alimentarius was established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a subsidiary body of the FAO and the WHO. The Commission is the principal international body on food standards and represents more than 95% of the world’s population. The primary aim of the Codex is ‘to guide and promote the elaboration and establishment of definitions and requirements for foods to assist in their harmonisation and in doing so to facilitate international trade.’2 The Codex consists of a collection of food standards, guidelines and other recommendations (see Box 5.2).3 It also includes a Code of Ethics which aims to encourage food traders to adopt voluntarily ethical practices to protect human health and to ensure fair practices in food trade.
5.6 A conference organised jointly by the WHO and the FAO in 1999 addressed the question of how developing countries could participate more actively in the work of the Codex Commission. Delegates identified the need to make greater efforts to learn about and respond to concerns of consumers in these countries. Subsequently, National Codex Alimentarius Committees have been established with financial assistance from the FAO in most developing countries. These National Committees involve representatives of relevant government ministries, industry and consumer initiatives; each National Committee sends delegates to international Codex meetings.4
| - The standards set out by the Codex have been used widely as the benchmark in international trade disputes. They are explicitly referred to and adopted in the SPS agreement of the WTO, and the TBT agreement implicitly refers to them. |
| - Issues relating to the use of GM crops have recently been considered by the Codex Commission. At its meeting on 30 June – 7 July 2003 the Commission agreed three standards relating to GM crops: |
| - Principles for the Risk Analysis of Foods derived from Modern Biotechnology; |
| - Guidelines for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants; and |
| - Annex on the Assessment of Possible Allergenicity to the Guidelines for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants.* |
| - The principles include a science-based, pre-market risk assessment, performed on a case by case basis, and also an evaluation of both direct effects (from the inserted gene) and unintended effects (that may arise as a consequence of insertion of the new gene). Risk management should be based on the risk assessment and be proportionate to the risks identified. Effective post-market monitoring may in some cases require mechanisms of traceability and labelling to allow the withdrawal of products that pose risks to human health. |
| * Adopted at the Twenty-sixth Session held in Rome, 30 June – 7 July 2003. Report available: www.codexalimentarius.net/session_26.stm. Accessed on: 12 Nov 2003. |
respond to concerns of consumers in these countries. Subsequently, National Codex
Alimentarius Committees have been established with financial assistance from the FAO in
most developing countries. These National Committees involve representatives of relevant
government ministries, industry and consumer initiatives; each National Committee sends
delegates to international Codex meetings.4
2 FAO (1999) Understanding the Codex Alimentarius: Codex and the international food trade. Available: http://www.fao.org./docrep/w9114e/W9114e06.htm. Accessed on: 17 May 2003.
3 The Codex Alimentarius standards, guidelines and other recommendations cover a wide range of issues and currently comprise 204 Food Standards, 43 Codes of Practice, 197 evaluated Pesticides, 2516 Limits for Pesticide Residues, 25 Guideline Levels for Contaminants, 1300 evaluated Food Additives, 54 evaluated Veterinary Drugs and 289 Limits for Veterinary Drug Residues. See FAO (1999) Food Quality, Safety and International Trade: Codex Alimentarius and the SPS and TBT Agreements Agricultural Trade Fact Sheet. Available: http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/X6730E/X6730E05.HTM. Accessed on: 17 May 2003.
4 FAO (1999) Food Quality, Safety and International Trade: Codex Alimentarius and the SPS and TBT Agreements Agricultural Trade Fact Sheet. Available: http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/X6730E/X6730E05.HTM. Accessed on: 17 May 2003.