New breeding techniques, or “NBTs” as they have come to be known, are a set of innovative tools that can have remarkable impacts in the fields of animal and plant science. They equip scientists with more precision and thus can allow more efficient and effective impacts when tackling emerging environmental and food security problems.
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The world’s governments have different opinions on how to approach the issue and their legislative bodies are starting to come forward with possible solutions.
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[Argentina’s resolution number 173/2015] establishes a case by case assessment, through a simplified procedure in which applicants can request the corresponding administrative authority to determine if a product falls under the category of a GMO or not.…
Brazil has also taken a major step in this direction with the new Normative Resolution 16 (NR 16). It establishes the requirements for a consultation on whether a product can be exempt from the GMO regulatory framework. Thus in some cases the full risk assessment and management for GMOs must be applied, while in other cases products deriving from NBTs and innovative precision improvements can be exempt.
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The recent actions taken by Argentina and Brazil set an example for how to use detailed concepts, scientific peer review data and sound technical advice to regulate NBTs and ensure that policymakers are not shackled by rules that were developed for different procedures.
Read full, original post: Argentina and Brazil merge law and science to regulate new breeding techniques