Regulation of biotechnology in the United States, Canada, and Latin America

Abstract

Over the past several years there has been a concerted attempt to coordinate the regulatory policies of the countries of the Americas. This attempt has not been fully realized. However, there are in place a wide range of generally compatible systems. These range from the relatively structured regulatory environment in the United States and Canada to the recommendations for guidelines made by the collective bodies of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), The Organization of American States (OAS) and The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA). These various policies will be reviewed in this chapter. The United States, followed closely by Canada, has been the leader in the development of biotechnology in the Americas, and in the development of regulatory policy and practice, reacting to the changing conditions as new biotechnology products came out of research laboratories and into the marketplace.