Peru announces New Breeding Technique regulations
Peru's Ministry of the Environment (MINAM) approved guidelines on 8 March 2026 to determine the status of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs/OVMs) developed through New Breeding Techniques (NBT) (such as gene editing).
Under the new guidelines, an organism developed through new biotechnological tools will not be classified as an LMO if:
- It can be demonstrated that there is an absence of exogenous genetic material in the final product, and
- The genetic modifications are equivalent to those that could be obtained through conventional breeding methods.
The guidelines create a case by case basis for evaluation of products, rather than the previous ruling of regulation by the process used. Technologies covered under this framework include gene editing methodologies such as (including CRISPR/Cas) and technologies which modify the genome or gene expression of an organism.
The system works through voluntary disclosure by the developer to the Dirección de Recursos Genéticos y Bioseguridad (Directorate of Genetic Resources and Biosafety), operating under the Dirección General de Diversidad Biológica (General Directorate of Biological Diversity), both within the Ministry of Environment (MINAM). The MINAM then conduct its assessment based on that submitted evidence. If confirmed to be transgene-free, the Directorate issues a technical report (Informe Técnico) confirming that a product is not an LMO, the product exits the LMO regulatory perimeter of the previous moratorium and can be commercialised and treated as a conventionally-bred crop.
This announcement marks a departure from Peru's moratorium (originally enacted in 2011) which prohibited the release of gene edited products. Peru ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in 2004, and the ministry emphasised that the new guidelines serve to protect biological diversity and honour its international commitments.
This move harmonises Peru in alignment with wider Latin American countries, which have been early adopters of gene editing technologies.
The technical and scientific criteria to identify which products or organisms fall under Law 29811 and its extension, Law 31111, which maintain the moratorium on the entry and production of LMOs until 31 December 2035.
Further reading: