2001 AACC Annual Meeting Charlotte, North Carolina October 14-18, 2001 Charlotte Convention Center

The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety may have significant impact upon cereal grain processing and the international grain trade. This paper outlines the major issues, discusses the background and examines possible implications. The Protocol, expected to come into effect in 2002, will define the procedures to be followed in the trans boundary movement of living modified organisms (LMOs). The Protocol is designed to provide an adequate level of protection for the safe transfer, handling and use of LMOs produced through modern biotechnology to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of the world's biological diversity. The key to its impact upon grain processing and the international grain trade will depend upon how the Protocol is implemented. An Intergovernmental Committee on the Cartagena Protocol has been formed to prepare for the Protocol's implementation. Its first meeting was held in France in December 2000. The second meeting will be held in Kenya 1-5 October 2001. Issues such as LMO testing methods, tolerance levels and adventitious materials may impact many facets of the cereal grain industry. It is important therefore that all facets of the industry be engaged in determining how the Protocol can best be implemented.