HOW TO DESIGN GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD LABELING REGULATION IN INDONESIA - TAKING SCIENCE, TRADE LAW, AND INDONESIAN DEMANDS SERIOUSLY

Abstract

This research proposes a genetically modified (GM) food labeling regulation for Indonesia, which is based on the socio-economic demands of Indonesia on the one hand and the demands of international trade law and policy on the other. The paper first critically evaluates the current Indonesian GM labeling regime as it is embedded in the international trade law and policy system. We highlight its major weakness, such as the dependence on regulation from bigger trading blocs, lack of consideration for the socio-economic characteristics of Indonesia, and lack of compliance. To overcome these shortfalls, we propose a new GM labeling regulation for Indonesia that is based on the Food Safety Objective/Appropriate Level of Protection (FSO/ALOP) concept for developing countries, as previously developed by the authors.