Description

At the third Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (MOP-3), countries will make another attempt to finalise negotiations on documentation requirements for shipments of living modified organisms intended for use in food or feed a for processing (LMO-FFPs). Differences over the extent of such requirements proved insurmountable at MOP-2 – the official deadline for reaching an agreement – and the pressure will again be on delegates to finalise the discussions in Brazil. Underlying these negotiations are important trade interests that favour unhindered flows of agricultural goods, consumer demand for choice, and concerns over developing countries' limited capacities to monitor LMO imports and assess and manage possible
risks.

The debates and tensions are also mirrored at the domestic level, notably in developing countries where regulatory frameworks are still in their early stages. Questions have been raised over the feasibility and costs of implementing labelling and traceability systems in these countries, given the realities of local production and distribution systems characterised by small and closely situated plots, loosely packed transportation, sales directly to the market and re-use and exchange of seeds. How could documentation requirements under the Cartagena Protocol support domestic labelling? Would developing country biotech exporters have the capacity to meet stringent documentation requirements for LMO commodities under the Protocol?