Prospects for Application of the Precautionary Principle in Utilization Agricultural Biotechnology

Abstract

The use of agricultural biotechnology provides an increased hunger for agricultural production and better processing of agricultural products. Increasing the capacity of agricultural products and processing includes plant breeding to increase and stabilize production yields, increase plant resistance from pests, diseases, and abiotic stresses such as drought and soil acidity, and increase the nutrient content of foodstuffs. Agricultural biotechnology is used to help achieve sustainability in agriculture. However, agricultural biotechnology is not without risks. For agriculture, these risks include health risks, environmental risks, biodiversity risks, and socio-economic risks. From a legal perspective, there is a known precautionary principle on the existence of a risk of certain events on health or the environment. When it cannot be scientifically proven that the risk will actually occur is not a reason to delay taking preventive action. The principle of prudence is normalized in statutory regulations. It has a normative character so that it becomes a guideline for the power of authority to be implemented by those who are the targets of enacting the law.