Navigating the Regulatory Landscape: Biosafety and Environmental Assessment of GMOs in Colombia

Abstract

Colombia regulates all activities related to the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs): laboratory research, confined activities, commercial planting, the importation of GMOs, human and animal consumption, and their use as raw materials for food processing. Regulations for developments with recombinant DNA technology have been in place since 1993, several years before the Cartagena Protocol was negotiated and adopted, of which the country was one of the leaders in formulation and negotiation. By 2023, 154,689 ha of GM crops of cotton, corn, soybeans, and flowers were planted in Colombia. Biological risks are defined by the possible negative effects on human or animal consumption and the environment in which they are released. As a megadiverse country, it has taken the challenge of developing technical and institutional capacities to ensure that applications of biotechnological developments do not pose risks to human and animal health or the environment.