Attaché Report (GAIN)

China: Climate Reports Highlight Agriculture

On December 29, 2023, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) submitted two major reports related to climate change to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): the Fourth National Communication on Climate Change (NC4) and the Third Biennial Update Report on Climate Change (BUR3).
From March 4-6, 2024, 26 representatives from all ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Timor-Leste participated in a USDA-funded agricultural biotechnology workshop - along with dozens of private sector stakeholders at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia.
On March 19, 2024, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) National Crop Variety Registration Committee (CNCVRC) published a second variety registration list for genetically modified (GM) corn and soybeans.
Ghana continues to demonstrate its conviction that proven science-based advanced technologies remain viable options in the global efforts to achieve food security in the face of various production constraints like climate change.
Attaché Report (GAIN)

Rwanda: Rwanda Passes New Biosafety Law

On February 21, 2024, The Government of Rwanda (GoR) published a new biosafety law providing requirements for the transit and utilization of living modified organisms (LMOs) produced through modern biotechnology techniques. This law enters effect immediately.
Ghana's National Biosafety Authority approved the release of the GE crop BT Cowpea into the environment and market, marking the first GE crop to be approved for use in Ghana. The approval lasts for ten years and is renewable.
On June 10, 2022 a report by the Dutch government on objectives for reduction of nitrogen greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in rural areas was released. It was followed by weeks of farmers protests in the Netherlands. This report gives a chronological...
The Japanese Diet enacted new legislation, the “Act to Promote Environmental Burden Reduction Activities for Establishment of Environmentally Harmonized Food System,” to support adoption of Japan’s Green Food System Strategy by farmers, foresters, and fishermen.
This report highlights the Brazilian biopesticides market and the current developments in the Brazilian legislation for biopesticides. The report focuses on the “on-farm” production of biopesticides, defined as the production of biopesticides at the farm level for non-commercial use. Government agencies and major stakeholders with a deep interest in the topic have listed several pros and cons relative to the matter.
On June 29, 2022, the European Commission (EC) approved one genetically engineered (GE) crop (maize) for food and animal feed. The authorization was published in the European Union’s Official Journal on July 1, 2022 and remains valid for 10 years.
On June 22, 2022, the European Commission adopted its proposal for a new Regulation on the sustainable use of Plant Protection Products (SUR). The rules encourage reducing pesticides through integrated pest management and alternatives to chemical pesticides.
Recently, the New Zealand Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership – He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) – delivered their recommendations on an alternative agricultural emissions solution to the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). In its report, HWEN outlined various recommendations which center around a farm-level split gas levy on emissions.