The Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation (OECD) publishes a series of documents on the Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology (HROB), for the assessment of environmental risks and safety of genetically modified plants. For the first time in about 20 years, the OECD has now published a revised version of the 1999 consensus document on the biology of rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Japan has taken the lead in preparing the document on rice. As members of the OECD Working Party on the Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology (WP-HROB), JIRCAS researchers, with their extensive experience in rice cultivation research in Asia and Africa, have contributed to the preparation of the revised document covering major rice growing areas, cultivation environments, GM rice varieties, weed control and seed ecology.

OECD Consensus documents: Work on harmonisation of regulatory oversight in biotechnology - Biology of plants
https://www.oecd.org/env/ehs/biotrack/consensusdocumentsfortheworkonhar…

Revised Consensus Document on the Biology of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)
https://www.oecd.org/officialdocuments/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/?cote=e…

OECD Website
https://www.oecd.org/

Contributors: KOBAYASHI Nobuya (TARF), SAITO Kazuki (AfricaRice/Social Sciences Division), SASAKI Kazuhiro (Biological Resources and Post-harvest Division)