Opinion: Ukraine should not end up as a source of raw materials for bioengineering companies

The head of the GMO detection and biosecurity laboratory of Ukraine’s Institute of genetic engendering Borys Sorochinsky said at the press conference in IMC media-hall.

“Those modified organisms allowed for commercial use were created to carry out certain functions, like fighting against plant pests or resisting certain herbicides. We use modified soy, corn, cotton. We drink beer made of modified yeasts. GMO is our reality, but we should remember that GMO includes very long list of organisms with various peculiarities and potential risks,” the scientist noted.

Commenting on the GMO situation in Ukraine, he said that the problem of GMO introduction in Ukraine is of social and economic character.

“The global market is under division now. It is enormous money. Ukraine must decide what it is – a consumer of someone’s achievements or a producer of its own production. Unfortunately, the matter now concerns not the risks for human health, but possible social and economic risks,” he added.

Sorochinsky expressed an opinion that Ukraine should not turn into a source of raw materials for foreign bioengineering companies.

“If we open this market we must carry out active and aggressive policy to protect our interests by means of creating our kinds of plants and using our scientists. But first of all we must conduct an economic and social analysis to find out whether the society accepts this and whether it is profitable for Ukraine’s economy,” he summed up.