Setting the context : agriculture and crop/food sustainability -- Technologies for crop improvement -- Current progress and future needs of genetically engineered crop plants -- Principles of risk assessment -- Evolution of regulatory systems and national biosafety frameworks -- Molecular characterization of GM plants -- Risk assessment and management : human and animal health -- Risk assessment and management : environment -- Risk perception and public attitudes to bioengineered crops -- The future. -- Appendices: Glossary ; Climate change and global warming: impacts on crop production ; Details of major biotic constraints ; Genetics and gene expression ; Mutations ; Information required of an application for environmental release of a GMO ; GM food labeling in different countries -- Differences in public update of GP foods.