A Proposed Risk Assessment Method for Genetically Modified Plants

Abstract

An essential step in the development of products based on genetically modified plants (GMPs) is an assessment of safety, including an evaluation of the potential impact of the crop and practices related to its cultivation on the environment and human or animal health. The purpose of this safety assessment is to compare information about the GMP with that from a non-GM crop. However, at present this risk analysis may be faulty because there is no widely accepted and specific risk assessment method to evaluate GMPs that uses quantifiable parameters and allows for a comparative analysis among different technologies. This paper introduces a risk analysis method that focuses on the identification and evaluation of risks associated with the field release and cultivation of GMPs. Two tools bolster this proposed risk assessment method: (1) worksheets to compile Evidence of Risks, and (2) a Matrix of Assessment. The first tool identifies potential hazards related to the use of a specific GMP. This preformatted worksheet assigns values to the level of risk and its significance in terms of the activity to be developed. The second tool provides a structure to observe the potential hazards that illustrates what approach supports the use of GMPs in a manner as safe as any other traditional technology. To better understand this proposed risk assessment method, it is presented in a digital format (www.cnpma.embrapa.br/forms/gmp_ram.php3) (GMPRAM v.1.1. software) where the two tools are linked so that the user can fill in the worksheets and automatically observe the results in the matrix. Compared to current processes, this proposed method represents a less subjective and more transparent process for risk assessment.