The Ministry of Environment & Forests is the nodal
agency in the administrative structure of the Central Government, for the
planning, promotion, co-ordination and overseeing the implementation of
environmental and forestry programmes. The Ministry is also the nodal agency
for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Cartagena
Protocol on Biosafety. The decisions of
GEAC are also hosted on this website.
http://www.envfor.nic.in/divisions/csurv/biosafety/default.htm
Information on the activities under GEF-World Bank
project on capacity building in biosafety is available as part of the website
of Ministry of Environment and Forests
(MoEF) i.e. http://www.envfor.nic.in (sub heading BiosafetyNew). The website also has information on the related
topics such as regulatory framework, lists of various statutory committees,
lists of approved GMOs and products thereof, links for further reading, list of
upcoming events etc.
Under the
http://
203.122.19.19/gmdb/gmdbhome.html
National
Department of Biotechnology,
Government of
The Department of
Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science and Technology is the nodal
department for biotechnology in Government of India. In more than a decade of
its existence, the department has promoted and accelerated the pace of
development of biotechnology in the country. Through several R&D projects,
demonstrations and creation of infrastructural facilities a clear visible
impact of this field has been seen. The department has made significant
achievements in the growth and application of biotechnology in the broad areas
of agriculture, health care, animal sciences, environment, and industry. Along
with MoEF, DBT is the implementing agency for biosafety regulations in the
country.
Indian GMO
Research Information System (IGMORIS)
Indian GMO Research Information
System (IGMORIS) is a database on activities involving the use of GMOs and
products thereof in
Department of
Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of
The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation is
responsible for the formulation and implementation of national policies and
programmes aimed at achieving rapid agricultural growth through optimum
utilization of the country’s land, water, soil and plant resources.
Biotech
Consortium India Limited (
AgBioWorld
This site provides
information about technological advances in agriculture to the developing
world; particularly to teachers, scientists, journalists, and the general
public on the relevance of agricultural biotechnology to sustainable
development; maintains the declaration of “Scientists In Support Of
Agricultural Biotechnology,” and offers a discussion list serve.
AgBioForum Online
Magazine
Publishes articles which enhance the on-going dialogue on the economics and management of agricultural biotechnology. The purpose of AgBioForum is to provide unbiased, timely, information and new ideas leading to socially responsible and economically efficient decisions in science, public policy and private strategies pertaining to agricultural biotechnology.
Agricultural
Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSPII)
The Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSPII)
focuses on the safe and effective development and commercialization of
bio-engineered crops as a complement to traditional and organic agricultural
approaches in developing countries. The project helps boost food security,
economic growth, nutrition and environmental quality in East and
BioBin
http://www.oecd.org/ehs/biobin
BioBin is a
cooperative resource on safety in biotechnology developed between OECD’s
BioTrack Online and Biotechnology Information Network and Advisory Service
(BINAS) sponsored by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization
(UNIDO). A resource for regulations, field trials, biotechnology product
database, biotechnology libraries, and tools related to biosafety.
Biotechnology and Development Monitor
The
Monitor provides a forum for discussion on the positive and/or negative
impact of biotechnological innovations and international regulations on issues
such as economic growth, agricultural production, food security, shifts in
national and global markets, access to technology, employment, social
differentiation, and human rights. The analyses are interdisciplinary and
emphasize the integration of theoretical and empirical information from social
sciences and natural sciences.
Biotechnology Industry Organization
This organization
is the largest trade organization to serve and represent the emerging
biotechnology industry in the
The Biotechnology Information Center (BIC), is one of ten
information centers at the National Agricultural Library of the US Department
of Agriculture - ARS. BIC provides access to a variety of information services
and publications covering many aspects of agricultural biotechnology.
Biosafety
Clearing-House
As per the article 20 of the
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the Biosafety Clearing House (BCH) has been
established which serves as an information exchange mechanism to assist Parties
to implement its provisions and to facilitate sharing of information and
experiences with Living Modified Organisms (LMOs). It provides a “one – stop shop” where users can readily access or
contribute relevant biosafety related information with an objective to assist
governments to make informed decisions regarding the importation or release of
LMOs. The BCH also facilitates
scientific and technical cooperation between parties and stakeholders by
allowing interested stakeholders to access or contribute information on
existing biosafety capacity building activities, thus facilitating coordination
and synergy between various initiatives. For industry and other stakeholders
the BCH allows easy access to information vital to their activities including
details of the national contacts, relevant laws and regulations governing LMO
activities and the decisions and declarations made by Parties, especially
regard to transboundary movements.
The central portal of BCH is
at http://bch.biodiv.org. All the Parties to the Protocol are expected
to participate in BCH either by providing information through the central
portal or setting up their own websites linked to the central portal.
Biosafety Information Network and Advisory Service (BINAS)
http://www.binas.unido.org/binas
BINAS, a service
of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), monitors
global developments in regulatory issues in biotechnology providing information
on worldwide national regulations and field trials.
Biotechnology
http://www.biotechnology.gov.au
Biotechnology
http://www.biodiv.org/biosafety
This is the main
site for information about the CPB, including the background and full text of
the agreement, articles, updated list of signatures and ratifications,
meetings, and documents of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Cartagena
Protocol (ICCP), the Biosafety Clearing House, and a database of biosafety
capacity-building activities.
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/ppc/biotech/bioteche.shtml
The Canadian Food
Inspection Agency (CFIA) is responsible for the regulation of products derived
through biotechnology including plants, animal feeds and animal feed
ingredients, fertilizers, and veterinary biologics. For genetically modified
crop plants, the CFIA assesses the potential risk of adverse environmental
effects and authorizes and oversees import permits, confined trials, unconfined
release, and variety registration.
Codex Alimentarius
http://www.codexalimentarius.net
The Codex
Alimentarius, or the food code, has become the seminal global reference point
for consumers, food producers and processors, national food control agencies,
and the international food trade. Codex standards have become the benchmarks
against which national food measures and regulations are evaluated. This site
carries provisional agendas for forthcoming meetings and working papers and
reports of Codex Meetings. Of particular interest is the Preliminary Report of
the ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology
(final report due in 2003).
Electronic Forum on Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture
http://www.fao.org/biotech/forum.htm
This site provides
an open forum that will allow a wide range of parties, including governmental
and nongovernmental organizations, policy makers, and the general public, to
discuss and exchange views and experiences about specific issues concerning
biotechnology in food and agriculture for developing countries.
European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB)
Agri-Biotechnology (
The EFB is an
association of European scientific and technological societies in biotechnology
together with universities, scientific institutes, companies, biotechnology
associations, and individual members. Their mission is “. . . to promote the
safe, sustainable, and beneficial use of Nature’s resources in the life
sciences and technologies; to facilitate exchange of people and ideas; and to
contribute to a better understanding and perception of biotechnology by the
general public in Europe.”
European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB) Task Group on
Public Perceptions of Biotechnology
This group works
to increase public awareness and understanding of biotechnology and the life
sciences throughout
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United
Nations
http://www.fao.org/biotech/index.asp?/lang=en
This
site on food and agriculture is available in Arabic, French, Chinese, Spanish,
and English. It carries news and events, FAO documents, sectoral overviews, and
a glossary (English only).
Information Systems for Biotechnology (ISB)
This site has
documents and searchable databases pertaining to the development, testing, and
regulatory review of genetically modified plants, animals, and microorganisms
within the
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and
Biotechnology (ICGEB)
http://www.icgeb.trieste.it/~bsafesrv
The role of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology(ICGEB) is to promote the safe use of biotechnology world-wide, with special regards to the need of the developing world. It has played, since its inception, an important role on issues related to biosafety and the sustainable use of biotechnology.
The
Biosafety Unit of the ICGEB is dedicated to biosafety and risk assessment for
the environmental release of genetically modified organisms. It offers
information on biosafety concerns, upcoming meetings and training courses, and
a regularly updated index of selected scientific articles published on
biosafety and risk assessment from 1990 onward. This site also carries an
outstanding collection of links to databases on GMO releases, scientific
bibliographies, decision support systems, patents, and numerous other topics.
International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech
Applications (ISAAA)
The International Service for the Acquisition of
Agri-biotech Applications. ISAAA’s objectives are the transfer and delivery of
appropriate biotechnology applications to developing countries and the building
of partnerships between institutions in the South and the private sector in the
North, and by strengthening South-South collaboration.
The
primary site describes ISAAA’s activities and initiatives in biosafety, food
safety, intellectual property, and technology transfer. The
International Field Test Web Sites
http://www.isb.vt.edu/cfdocs/globalfieldtests.cfm
This
site has a list of links to information about field tests conducted in
twenty-nine countries.
International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI)
http://www.ilsi.org/site_search/index.cfm
ILSI is a
nonprofit, worldwide scientific research foundation seeking to improve the well
being of the general public through the pursuit of sound and balanced science.
It works towards understanding of scientific issues relating to nutrition, food
safety, toxicology, risk assessment, and the environment. This site lists ILSI
publications pertaining to biotechnology.
ILSI Crop
Composition Database
http://www.cropcomposition.org
The ILSI Crop Composition Database is a project of the International Life Sciences Institute. Additional support has been provided by Covance Laboratories Inc. Through ILSI, contributors have standardized and pooled their crop data in order to make the data available to scientists from academia, government agencies, and industry, and to the general public.
OECD - BioTrack
http://www.oecd.org/ehs/service.htm
BioTrack
Online, the web site of OECD's Programme on the Harmonization of Regulatory
Oversight in Biotechnology, was created in 1995. This site focuses on information related to the
regulatory oversight of products of biotechnology. BioTrack Online aims, not
only to help member country governments and industries with biotechnology
product notifications/assessments, but also to make the information, developed
by the Working Group on Harmonization of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology,
accessible to all who need it, including non-OECD countries that might find it
useful.
Program for
Biosafety Systems
http://www.ifpri.org/themes/pbs/pbs.htm
The Program for Biosafety Systems (PBS) supports partner countries as they develop the policy and legal framework, administrative procedures, technically qualified personnel and outreach mechanisms integral to their national biosafety systems. PBS work emphasizes sound, science-based, decision making and research, while also addressing socioeconomic considerations.
Transgenic Crops: An Introduction and Resource Guide
http://www.colostate.edu/programs/lifesciences/TransgenicCrops
This
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/acre
The site has
extensive background information on the release of GMOs in the European Union,
lists of applications for experimental trials and to market GMOs, application
formats for deliberate releases and marketing of higher plants and organisms
other than higher plants, a statement on GM animals, and more. The Guidance on
Principles of Best Practice in the Design of Genetically Modified Plants
documents how the design and construction of GM plants could be used to further
improve their safety and/or to simplify the risk assessment.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/biotech/usregs.htm
This site is a
portal to the agencies primarily responsible for regulating biotechnology: the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are regulated according to
their intended use; some products are regulated under more than one agency.
UNEP-GEF Biosafety Project
The UNEP-GEF
Biosafety Project is funded by the Global Environmental Facility and is based
on its “Initial Strategy for assisting countries to prepare for the entry into
force of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety” (GEF/C.16/4). The main objectives
of this strategy are to assist countries in the establishment of their national
biosafety frameworks; promote information sharing and collaboration, especially
at the regional and subregional level; and promote collaboration with other
organizations to assist capacity-building for the Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety.
The FDA regulates
foods and feed derived from new plant
varieties (GMOs) as well as conventional products. The biotechnology site
carries extensive documentation on regulations, labeling, consumer information,
and products approved for commercial sale.
World Health Organization (WHO) – Biotech Foods
http://www.who.int/fsf/GMfood/index.htm
WHO has been
addressing a wide range of issues in the field of biotechnology and human
health, including safety evaluation of vaccines produced using biotechnology,
human cloning, and gene therapy. This site briefly describes the activities of
WHO in regard to biotechnology and food safety.