Browse Data and Analysis

On April 22, 2024, Canada announced the implementation of a Federal Plastic Registry to monitor the types and volumes of plastic products, including plastic packaging used in agriculture and food manufacturing, through their life cycle on the Canadian market.

On April 17, 2024, the Government of Mexico published a law in the Official Gazette to establish mandatory warning labeling for products containing genetically engineered ingredients and to enshrine socioeconomic considerations into national food policy.

Brazil, a BRICS emerging economy, is the world’s sixth-largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter. Change in land use and forests (including deforestation and wildfires) is the main source of GHGs in Brazil, followed closely by agricultural production.

Industry experts expect a November 11, 2023, update to the Costa Rican biotechnology regulatory framework will facilitate utilization of innovative biotechnologies and reduce barriers to common applications of modern biotechnology.

Canada proposes a draft protocol, under its Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System Regulations, to incentivise feedlot operators implement changes to reduce enteric methane emissions from beef cattle, and to generate carbon offset credits.

The Government of Argentina (GOA) approved five new genetically engineered (GE) events in 2023 (two soybean and three corn). Argentina and Brazil continue to be at the forefront of biotechnology and signed the Cooperation Agreement on Biosafety of Modern Biotechnology Products on October 20, 2022.

Despite the private sector's support for biotechnology, Venezuela maintains a ban on the domestic use and research of modern biotechnology-derived agriculture. Venezuela’s basis for the ban is through the Seed Law of December 2015, which also prohibits the importation of genetically engineered (GE) seeds.

Brazil is the second-largest producer of biotech crops in the world with 105 events approved. For the 2022/2023 crop season, FAS Brasilia forecasts 68 million hectares planted with GE traits. Adoption rates for soybeans and cotton reached 99 percent and for corn, 95 percent.

Honduras has made no modifications or changes to its existing regulatory framework. As of October 2023, Honduras had more than 55,000 hectares (ha) of genetically engineered (GE) corn production, a 6% increase from CY 2022. Two crop event approvals...

Peru continues to enforce the extended biotechnology moratorium. In February 2021, Peru extended the previous ten-year biotechnology moratorium for another fifteen years. Similar to the previous moratorium, Peru has yet to notify the measure to the...

In September 2023, the government of Canada published a draft guidance document for plant breeders and feed manufacturers that reinforces Canada’s product-based approach and provides guidance on how Canada’s Feeds Act and Feeds Regulations are...

On January 20, 2022, the Constitutional Court of Ecuador declared the unconstitutionality of article 56 of the Law on Seeds, Agrobiodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture, which allowed the President of the Republic to authorize the introduction of GE...