Brazil launches biosafety info portal

Brazil’s Ministry of Science and Technology has launched an information exchange portal, the Portal Central Biosafety Clearing House (BCH). The Brazilian portal meets some of the country’s obligations under the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol, such as: guaranteeing that countries have access to information on authorisations for the planting or import of GMOs destined for use as food, feed or in processing; and issuing its rules on the matter, the Ministry says. It will issue scientific, environmental and legal information, to aid those taking authorisation decisions on GMOs. The portal has been developed by the Ministry with funds from the UN Environment Programme and the UN Global Environment Facility. Brazil has been a Party to the Protocol since November 2003. The Protocol came into force in September 2003 ( Agrow No 426, p 21).