The Precautionary principle: its misunderstandings and misuses in relation to "GMOs"

Abstract

References to the Precautionary principle (PP) in relation to "GMOs" are commonplace. Those who oppose the DNA recombinant approach to create new agricultural products either have not read the PP (misunderstanding), or they want to exploit the PP for their propaganda while forcing it (misuse). Proponents of a stricter approach to the regulation of biotechnologies must forge a new expression, since the PP is something else - historically and theoretically. In any case, a legitimate very circumspect attitude, to be coherent, must be applied to each and every biotechnology, not only to "GMOs".