Bioethical issues on farmers' rights relating to genetically modified crops.

In the National Agri-Food Policy for 2011–2020, genetic modification (GM) technology is considered as one of the possible ways to ensure food security in a sustainable industry. Soon, the Malaysian government will launch a National AgrofoodPolicy 2021-2030 (DAN 2.0) to transform the agro-food sector into a sustainable, competitive and high-technology industry and to boost economic growth through modern biotechnologies to improve the wellbeing of the people (Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries,2021). Nevertheless, the current legal frameworks cover the procedural process of GM technology; the common denominator of these regulations is the focus on balancing the development of biotechnology industries and the protection of people and environment, while applying the key principles of risk assessment and risk management. Hence, to ensure the use of GM technology is consistent with fundamental human rights, it is crucial to assess its ethical aspects and must be carefully examined. This research aims to present a legal framework, policy, and good practice to guide policymakers in assessing the bioethical issues in GM technology and identify possible ways to integrate the bioethical issues in the decision-making process of GM technology for the protection of farmers' rights. Having said that, further research is needed to refine and expand this framework and ensure sustainable modern biotechnology and the protection of the farmers. This study will provide an overview of regulatory frameworks for biosafety and biosecurity regarding bioethical issues pertaining to GM crops and points out overlap with other regulatory frameworks, such as the liability and redress, trust sales of goods, evidence and corporate law. The study is conducted in four phases: 1) systematic literature review; (2) data collection; (3) data analysis; (4) report writing and legal framework recommendation. The output from this study will be a legal framework to assess the ethicalissues of GM crops in protecting farmers' rights in which the regulators and other relevant stakeholders can use the recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]