Developing Country Biotechnology Profiles

On 2 April 2004, FAO launched "Developing Country Biotechnology Profiles", a searchable database which aims to provide easy access to key, updated sources of information regarding biotechnology-related policies, regulations and activities of individual developing countries. It is a new feature in FAO-BioDeC and is accessed by clicking the "Country Profiles" button on the left hand menu of the FAO-BioDeC webpage (http://www.fao.org/biotech/inventory_admin/dep/default.asp).

The purpose of the database is to compile, organise and render easily accessible information that is currently distributed in a number of places and that may be difficult to find. Information for each country may be provided on the following 11 subjects:

• biotechnology research policy;

• research capacity (key institutions;

• summary of major research programmes);

• biotechnology regulatory framework (biosafety;

• food safety;

• patents;

• plant variety protection;

• plant genetic resources;

• animal genetic resources);

• biotechnology applications and, finally,

• publications and links.

Entries are in English and users can search on any combination of subject, developing country or region as well as carry out a free text search.

Contact FAO-BioDeC@fao.org to provide comments (always welcome!) or to request more information.