The Costs of Implementing the Biosafety Protocol - A Look at Brazil

As countries prepare to take decisions on the Biosafety Protocol’s (BSP) documentation requirements for shipments of living modified organisms (LMOs) intended for food, feed and processing (LMOs-FFP), many questions remain about the appropriate ways that the BSP might be implemented and about its potential impacts. The International Food & Agricultural Trade Policy Council (IPC) has consistently urged parties to the BSP to assess the likely impacts of the different options. As a developing country and a major agricultural exporter, as well as a signatory to the BSP, the stakes for Brazil are very high. For this reason, the IPC has commissioned a study on the economic impact of the BSP on Brazil to be completed shortly.