Focal Point Information

E-mail:

[email protected]

Country:

Togo

Organization/agency name (Full name):

Ministry of Agriculture

Contact person name:

Ekanao TEDIHOU

Website:

Physical full address:

1, rue de l'Espérance

Phone number:

+22890223639

Fax number:

+22822251559

Country introduction

Summary:

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.

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 and is now pending adoption.

Currently in Togo, mechanisms to authorize or regulate GMOs or their use are not yet functional even if structures to detect and identify them exist. 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.

Framework

Regulatory framework:

My country is in the process in developing a regulatory framework that requires the competent authority to conduct safety assessment of GM food.

Structure for GM food safety assessment:

My country is in the process in developing a structure for GM food safety assessment.

Supplemental information:

Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:

Assessment

GM food safety assessment guidelines:

My country does not conduct safety assessment of GM food but the country has, or the country is in the process of developing national/regional guidelines that are not in line with the Codex Guidelines in conducting safety assessment of GM food.

Conduct of GM food safety assessment:

My country has never conducted safety assessment of GM food and will not (be able to) conduct such assessment in the near future.

Supplemental information on the implementation:

Stacked events

Regulation of stacked events:

My country is in the process of developing relevant regulations on stacked events.

Supplemental information on the stacked events:

Production and trade

GM food/feed production:

My country does not produce any GM food or feed.

GM food/feed imports:

My country does not import any GM food or feed (banned).

Supplemental information on the production and trade:

LLP/AP incidents

LLP/AP incidents:

My country does not monitor LLP/AP situations.

Supplemental information on the LLP/AP incidents:

Labelling requirement

Labelling requirement:

My country is in the process of developing regulations/policies on GM food labeling.

Supplemental information on the Labelling requirement:

Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment