Risks of modern biotechnologies and legal aspects of their implementation in agriculture

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to determine the best practices of social regulation of negative consequences for modern biotechnology use based on a comparative review of European and Russian legal regulations on food safety. The paper gives original classification of risks of biotechnologies introduction in agriculture, namely: food, agricultural, environmental, patent, social and ethical ones. Although risk assessment systems have been in use for some time, consumers do not always trust the results. One explanation for this is that in the past many national food safety systems had problems with timely notification of certain products’ potential hazards. In many countries, social and ethical views can be the reason for rejection of certain products, manipulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Such conflicts often reflect deeper issues about the interaction of human society and nature – issues that must be fully taken into account in any attempt at social communication. Authors offer a mode of social control and consensus in the form of agrobioethics, similar to bioethics in biomedical technologies.