Togo
Country introduction:
Togo is located in West Africa between the Gulf of Guinea in the south, Burkina Faso in the north, Ghana in the west and Benin in the east. It covers an area of 56,600 square kilometers.
Regulatory framework:
My country has a regulatory framework that requires the competent authority to conduct safety assessment of GM food.
Structure for GM food safety assessment:
My country has competent authority, agency, organization, ministry, department, committee, commission or a system/mechanism that is tasked to conduct or review GM food safety assessment.
Supplemental information (regulatory framework):
In Togo, the law on biosafety adopted in 2009 (Law N 2009-001 of 06 January 2009) provided for a regulatory framework. But the adoption of Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Additional Protocol on Liability and Compensation for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety called for a review of 2009 law in order to make it much more progressive and in line with the protocol. Its review therefore started in 2013 but in the meantime, sub-regional organizations such as the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) , the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) and ECOWAS have jointly adopted the law on the prevention of biotechnological risks in the ECOWAS region (Regulation C/REG. 04/09/2020 on the prevention of biotechnological risks in the ECOWAS region). This law covers the procedures for requesting, studying and authorizing GMOs in the sub-region and therefore in Togo. This law is active and therefore covers any question relating to the subject even if implementing texts are being gradually adopted.
Relevant contact details:
Biosafety issues are overseen by the Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources, which has set up a multidisciplinary team to organize the Biosafety Regulatory Framework in Togo.
GM food safety assessment guidelines:
My country follows the relevant Codex Guidelines or national/regional guidelines that are in line with the Codex Guidelines in conducting safety assessment of GM food.
Conduct of GM food safety assessment:
My country does not regularly conduct food safety assessment of GM food, but has conducted at least once in the past.
Supplemental information (assessment):
Regulation stacked events:
Stacked events require full assessment as a new GM event.
Supplemental information (stacked events):
GM food/feed production:
My country does not produce any GM food or feed.
GM food/feed imports:
My country allows imports GM food or feed upon authorization.
Supplemental information (production and trade):
LLP/AP incidents:
My country does not monitor LLP/AP situations.
Supplemental information (LLP/AP incidents):
Labelling requirement:
My country has a mandatory and positive labeling regulation on GM food (i.e., It contains GMO).
Supplemental information (labelling requirement):
Relevant links:
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