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| The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also a source oif knowledge and information. They help developing countries and countries in transition modernise and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practives and ensure good nutrition for all. Since its founding in 1945, FAO have focused special attention on developing rural areas, home to 70 percent of the world's poor and hungry people. |
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| Biosecurity is a strategic and integrated approach that encompasses the policy and regulatory frameworks (including instruments and activities) that analyse and manage risks in the sectors of food safety, animal life and health, and plant life and health, including associated environmental risk. Biosecurity covers the introduction of plant pests, animal pests and diseases, and zoonoses, the introduction and release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their products, and the introduction and management of invasive alien species and genotypes. Biosecurity is a holistic concept of direct relevance to the sustainability of agriculture, food safety and the protection of the environment, including biodiversity. |
| JOINT FAO/WHO EXPERT CONSULTATION |
| FAO and WHO have embarked on an initiative to organise a series of scientific expert consultations to provide scientific and technical advice to their Member States. The scientific advice derived from the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultations can be used by the Member States of FAO and WHO directly. It also serves as the scientific foundation for the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in their deliberation on risk analysis principles and safety assessemnt guidelines for foods derived from biotechnology.
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| The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is an intergovernmental body set up to establish international standards on foods. Its primary objective is to protect the health of consumers and to ensure fair practices in food trade.
 Documents from the Codex and hoc Interngovernental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology
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| COMMISSION ON GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE (CGRFA) |
The Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture is a permanent forum where governments discuss and negotiate matters relevant to genetic resources for food and agriculture. The main objectives of the CGRFA are to ensure the conservation and sustainable utilisation of genetic resources for food and agriculture, as well as the fair and equitable sharing benefits derived from their use, for present and future generations. The Commission aims to reach international consensus on areas of global interest, through negotiations.
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| ELECTRONIC FORUM ON BIOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE |
| The FAO Electronic Forum on Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture was established in March 2000 with the aim of providing quality balanced information on agricultural biotechnology in developing coutries and to make a neutral platform available for people to exchange views and experiences on this subject |
| USEFUL TOOLS |
 FAO-BioDeC database is meant to gather, store, organise and disseminate, updated baseline information on the state-of-the-art of crop biotechnology products and techniques, which are in use, or in the pipeline in developing countries. The database includes about 2000 entries from 70 developing countries, including countries with economies in transition.
 FAO Glossary of Biotechnlogy for Food and Agriculture tries to provide a consolidated, comprehensive and yet accessible list of terms and acronyms that are used regularly in biotechnology for food and agriculture.
 The International Portal on Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health facilitates trade in food and agriculture products and supports the implementation of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement by providing a single access point for authorised official international and national information across the sectors of food safety, animal and plant health.
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| OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS |
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