Organismi geneticamente modificati (OGM): quali rischi per la biodiversità zoologica?

Abstract

Several GMOs have the potential to enter the Italian market and the wider environment. The most likely candidates are herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant genetically modified plants (GMOs), but transgenic insects and fish are also being evaluated. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has already mandated a scientific review of the state of the art and a risk assessment study for these plants (EFSA, 2008 and 2009). Alongside the benefits of developing these organisms, it is important to note some of the environmental risks associated with their development: transmission of the modified gene to other plants through pollination, loss of biodiversity, and selection of resistant insects. These are just some of the issues associated with the deliberate release of a GMO.