Environmental Safety Study for Policy Formulation of Genetically Engineered Products (Case Study of Bt Rice).

Abstract

Sustainable development in agriculture needs to be strengthened by doing technological innovation. One of the advances that have been achieved to improve the quality and quantity of rice production is the carrying out of Bt rice resistant to stem borer attack. Before being released or commercialized, genetically engineered Bt rice plant must meet the biosafety requirements like food, environmental and/or feed safety. It takes a considerable cost for the development of Genetic Engineered Plant (GEP) technology, including biosafety testing of GEP after being generated. The objective of this research is the study of environmental safety to make the analysis of the policy strategy of sustainable GEP management especially Bt rice containing gene CryIA(b). Environmental safety testing has been conducted in a limited field trials since 2003 to 2007. The test results data of the impact on non- target pests and natural enemies as well as testing gene flow derived, become the composisitions in making environmental safety assessment of GEP crop. In formulating the management policies of Bt rice, instead of the environmental safety assessment only; the analysis of financial sustainability with social aspects of community; the analysis sustainability multidimensional and regulations assessment; laws of legislation and related institutions based on decision-making method; were also made. Based on the results of environmental safety testing, it turns out there was no difference in the number of non- target insect and natural enemies populations in Bt Rice and non- GE rice’s cropping land. From the selection results of hygromycin and PCR analysis of non- GE rice first generation (T0), there was no intersection between Bt Rice to non- GE rice on 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 treatment spacing from Bt rice plants. Financial feasibility of Bt rice farming business was moderate to be continued. Sustainability analysis of multidimensional GEP management policy was around 58.99 % which is quite sustainable. The role of regulations and laws of legislation based on institutions; is crucial to the success of GEP crop introductions. The research was conducted in the laboratory of the Research Center for Biotechnology, LIPI and field surveys at four locations in Cianjur , Sukabumi , Karawang and Subang; being started in January 2012 until May 2013. The research methods are descriptive methods, partial budget analysis, MDS (Multidimensional Scaling), AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process), ISM (Interpretative Structural Modeling) and content analysis.