A Study of Stakeholder Views to Shape a Communication Strategy for GMO in Brazil.

This paper analyzes the view of stakeholders on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the implications of these views on communication strategies for agricultural biotechnology in Brazil. It identifies and describes common groups of attitudes toward GMOs using multivariate statistical analyses. The study then looks for patterns of association between the common attitude groups and the following variables: socioeconomic characteristics trust in institutions as information sources and familiarity with the Brazilian biosafety authority. The article contributes to the understanding of public awareness by highlighting how information sources, trust in institutions, and socioeconomic characteristics, such as age and occupational qualification, play important roles in defining patterns of attitudes toward GMOs. The paper also discusses the implications of this knowledge for the development of a communication strategy plan that would promote public awareness and stimulate a well-informed Brazilian public debate on biosafety.

Brazil and the development of international scientific biosafety testing guidelines for transgenic crops.

Under the umbrella of the International Organisation of Biological Control (IOBC), an international working group of public sector scientists entitled on "Transgenic Organisms in Integrated Pest Management and Biological Control" has been organized. The group will develop scientific principles and detailed scientific guidelines for biosafety testing of transgenic crops. The key elements of this project are: (1) An international initiative including expert scientists from leading research institutions in developed and developing countries; (2) coordination of the development and implementation of the guidelines as a dynamic process, which will include scientific and technical capacity building and communication among scientists and between scientists and policy makers; (3) rapid serial publication of sections of the guidelines as they are completed; and (4) rapid and timely revision of previously published sections. The guidelines will be constructed on a case-by-case basis and will have no regulatory legitimacy themselves.

Métodos para avaliaçäo de risco ambiental e ecotoxicológico de biopesticidas / Methodology to evaluate environment riisks and toxicity pathogenicity of biopesticides

Pretendeu-se verificar se a metodologia proposta pelos protocolos internacionais para análise toxicopatológica dos biopesticidas é adequada ao estudo de seu risco de aplicaçäo por pulverizaçäo em florestas no Brasil. Foram realizados testes toxicopatológicos em ratos, para verificaçäo da persistência do microorganismo no animal e a possível ocorrência de danos provocados pela exposiçäo ao Bacillus thuringiensis. A fim de analisar a toxicidade/patogenicidade dos biopesticidas testou-se em animais, a administraçäo do produto pelas vias respiratórias e oral, e realizou-se sua quantificaçäo em órgäos e fezes, além da verificaçäo de lesöes na necropsia. Em relaçäo a avaliaçäo de sua persistência e disseminaçäo no ambiente avaliou-se a presença do microorganismo em amostras de folhas verdes e em detritos no solo, em uma área de reflorestamento de eucaliptos, tratada por aplicaçäo aérea e terrestre. Concluiu-se que a dose proposta nos protocolos internacionais de avaliaçäo de risco do uso de biopesticidas etá muito acima da dose encontrada em campo, entretanto sugere-se que sejam incluídos testes de exposiçäo prolongada a diferentes doses