Modern biotechnology has led to the development and use of Living Modified Organisms
(LMOs) for agriculture and other purposes. Regulators at the national level are
increasingly depending on risk assessment as a tool for assessing potential adverse
effects of LMOs on the environment and human health. In addition, the Cartagena
Protocol on Biosafety, an international agreement expected to enter into force in the
near future, requires risk assessment as the basis for decision-making regarding import
of some LMOs. While LMO risk assessment is relatively new, there are other risk assessment
disciplines which have developed over longer time periods. The field of assessment of the
environmental and human health risks of chemicals is particularly well developed, and
is similar in application to LMO risk assessment. This paper aims to draw lessons for
LMO risk assessment from the vast experience with chemical risk assessment. Seven general
principles are outlined which should serve as a useful checklist to guide assessments
of risks posed by LMOs.