Peru: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual
On December 9, 2011, President Humala approved Law 29,811, establishing a ten-year moratorium on genetically modified organisms. The law designates the Ministry of Environment, the main opponent to biotechnology development, as the lead agency for biotechnology. The moratorium contemplates three exceptions: 1) laboratory research; 2) use in pharmaceuticals and veterinary products; and 3) use in food, animal feed and in food processing. Peru has never notified the moratorium to the WTO. Biotechnology remains largely misunderstood by the general public. Anti-biotechnology groups are well-organized and very vocal. Agricultural producers, the potential beneficiaries of biotechnology, have not articulated a position in support of biotech.
