Biotechnology Policy Documents of FAO Members

This webpage of the FAO Biotechnology website brings together biotechnology policy documents from FAO members (currently with 194 Member Nations, two associate members and one member organization, the European Union). The majority are national policy documents, but regional (within country) documents are also included. Only documents available on the web are included. We provide the title, date and language(s) of the documents, as well as an indication of their size. We welcome any comments and would especially appreciate hearing from you about any missing or new documents (at [email protected]). This page was last updated in November 2020.

[Note, the documents do not tend to address agricultural biotechnology alone. In addition to the application of biotechnology to food and agriculture, most policy documents also tend to consider applications in other areas, such as pharmaceuticals and human health care, chemicals, textiles, mining, energy and environmental services.]

Australia

• Australian Biotechnology: A National Strategy. Launched by the Australian Government in July 2000. 467 KB.

Brazil

• Política de Desenvolvimento da Biotecnologia. Decree 6,041 signed by the President of Brazil on 8 February 2007 that creates the National Committee for Biotechnology and outlines a national policy for the sector. In Portuguese (35 pages, 271 KB).

Canada

• The Canadian Biotechnology Strategy. 1998

Chile

• National Policy for Biotechnology Development: Biotechnology as a tool for development and well-being. (Política Nacional para el Desarrollo de la Biotecnología: La biotecnología como herramienta para el desarrollo y el bienestar). 2003. 43 pages.

Colombia

• Policy for the Commercial Development of Biotechnology from the Sustainable Use of Biodiversity (Política para el desarrollo comercial de la biotecnología a partir del uso sostenible de la biodiversidad). Approved by the National Council of Economic and Social Policy (Consejo Nacional de Política Económica y Social, Conpes), June 2011. 36 pages.

European Union

• Strategy for Europe on life sciences and biotechnology. 2002.   

India

#National Policies

• National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2015-2020. Published by the Department Of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, 2015

#State Policies

• Andhra Pradesh Biotechnology Policy 2015-2020. Prepared in 2015 by the Industries and Commerce Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh. 18 pages.
• Assam Biotechnology Policy 2018–2022. It was formulated through a series of consultative programmes and the entire programme was supported by the Assam Science Technology and Environment Council and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Assam. 36 pages.
• Himachal Pradesh Biotechnology Policy 2015. From the Department of Environment, Science and Technology, Government of Himachal Pradesh. 2014. 4 pages.
• Karnataka Biotechnology Policy 2017-2022. 47 pages. Published in 2017 by the Government of Karnataka.
• Kerala Biotechnology Policy. 2003. Produced by the Government of Kerala.
• Maharashtra Biotechnology Policy 2001. Produced by the Government of Maharashtra State, India.
• Odisha Biotechnology Policy 2018. Published by the Science and Technology Department, Government of Odisha. 20 pages. 
• Rajasthan Biotechnology Policy 2015. Developed by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Rajasthan. 40 pages.
• Tamil Nadu Biotechnology Policy 2014. Industries Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. 23 pages.  
• Telangana Life Sciences Policy 2015-2020. From the Industries and Commerce Department, Government of Telangana. 23 pages.
• The Millennium Biotech Policy II. 2009. Produced by the Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka, Bangalore (24 pages, 3 MB).
• Uttarakhand Biotechnology Policy 2018-23. From the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Uttarakhand. December 2018. 15 pages.
• West Bengal Biotechnology Policy. From the Department of Biotechnology, Government of West Bengal. 2013. 10 pages. 

Ireland

• Inter-Departmental Group Report on Modern Biotechnology.  2000. 231 pages.

Kenya 

• A National Biotechnology Development Policy. Published in 2006. In English. 114KB. 

Malaysia

• National Biotechnology Policy. Formulated by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and launched by the Prime Minister in April 2005. In English.

Namibia

• National Policy Document: Enabling the Safe Use of Biotechnology. 1999.

Nepal

• Biotechnology Policy, 2063 (2006 A.D.). 2006. In English (53KB). 16 pages.

Netherlands

• Integral Policy Document on Biotechnology of the Netherlands. Presented by the Government to Parliament in September 2000.

Norway

• National Strategy for Biotechnology: For the future of value creation, health and the environment. Strategy 2011-2020. The Ministry of Education and Research, Ministry of Health and Care Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of the Environment drew up the strategy in cooperation with the Research Council of Norway and Innovation Norway. The effort was headed by the Ministry of Education and Research. Published in 2012. 43 pages. 

Paraguay

• National Programme and Policy on Agricultural and Forestry Biotechnology for Paraguay. 2011. The 36-page document, approved by the President of the Republic of Paraguay on 13 June 2011, was prepared by the Multisectoral Technical Group on Biotechnology and Biosafety (GTMSBB). This Group was coordinated by the Unit of International Trade and Integration (UCII) of the General Directorate of Planning of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG). The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) acted as the Technical Secretariat of the Group. The preliminary draft was prepared under the FAO project "Support to Formulating a National Biotechnology Policy", carried out by the MAG's General Directorate of Planning with support from FAO in 2005. In Spanish (2.5 MB).

Perú

• General law on the development of modern biotechnology in Peru [ - 20 KB]. Approved by the Peruvian congress in July 2006. In Spanish, 8 pages.

South Africa

• A National Biotechnology Strategy for South Africa. June 2001. 94 pages, 407 KB.

Tanzania 

• National Biotechnology Policy. 2010. Ministry of Communication, Science and Technology. 26 pages (850 KB). 

Thailand

• Thailand’s National Biotechnology Policy Framework (2012-2021). In English (3 MB).  Published by the Ministry of Science and Technology, and prepared by the National Science Technology and Innovation Policy Office, the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, and the National Science and Technology Development Agency. 

Zambia

• National Biotechnology and Biosafety Policy. Presented by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training in 2003. 17 pages.