By Clover Chang, U.S. Grains Council Director in Taiwan

In 2009, the Taiwanese Food Industry Research and Development Institute (FIRDI), sent the Department of Health (DOH) a draft policy for addressing instances of Low-Level Presence (LLP) of unapproved biotech events.. Currently, Taiwan has a zero tolerance policy that, if enforced, would prevent a shipment from entering Taiwan if trace amounts of an unapproved biotech event were detected.

In order to assist the DOH with developing the policy so as to ensure the smooth flow of trade, the U.S. Grains Council, in collaboration with CropLife International, invited representatives from COCERAL (the European Association of cereals, rice, feedstuffs, oilseeds, olive oil, oils and fats and agrosupply trade) and CropLife Canada to Taiwan for a biotech educational program.

In meetings with government officials, researchers and industry leaders in Taiwan, the team shared their experiences and explained the risks to the marketplace in the absence of an LLP policy. The team also discussed the participants on the developments of LLP policies globally and ongoing dialogues between governments on this issue.

Overall the mission was a positive step, as attendees were able to understand the key points related to LLP. However, there is still a great deal of work to be done in Taiwan as well as East Asia region to ensure that trade will continue uninterrupted.