Government of Goiás develops the country's first Agricultural Defense Code

With the intention of facilitating the understanding of the legal framework to which rural producers, professionals who work directly with the trade of agricultural products and agro-industries are subject, the Goiana Agricultural Defense Agency (Agrodefesa) is committed to editing an Agricultural Defense Code that encompasses in a better structured way for all this legal text. The document aims to bring together, in a succinct and objective way, the legal requirements that need to be met for those who work in the agricultural segment in Goiás and will be the first of this nature to be written in the country.

As explained by the president of Agrodefesa, José Ricardo Caixeta Ramos, the work, which has been designed internally for a few years by the agency's technicians, will be an important step towards the development of the sector, and its reduction in bureaucracy.

“We saw the need to update our laws to comply with federal laws that have already advanced on some points. The editing of a code is allowing us to do this in order to seek agility and transparency for the lives of producers and those who work in any activity linked to agriculture”, he explains.

He also clarified that, at the request of Governor Ronaldo Caiado, the code drawn up was not used to burden the sector. “He was categorical in asking us not to create new fees or increase fines. What is being done is to work with the dosimetry of fines, so that they can be adjustable to the size of the damage caused or non-compliance with regulations”, he details.

The work carried out at the governmental level has just gained new partners by taking the discussion to professional entities that serve the sector. This week, representatives of these entities met with the Agrodefesa board to join study groups for each of the specific areas. According to the schedule presented, starting in February next year, advances on the following topics will be discussed individually in these groups: animal health, plant health, pesticides, seeds and seedlings and products of animal origin.

For the director of Agricultural Defense, Augusto Amaral, it is necessary to modernize the agricultural legal framework as other sectors already apply concepts such as self-control and self-regulation.

“We have to adopt programs that allow us to act with self-control, giving Agrodefesa the role of guide and disseminator of good practices. The hand of inspection will always be present, but the role of partner in compliance with standards must be better highlighted,” she declared.

About the Agricultural Defense Code

The Agricultural Defense Code that is being drafted by Agrodefesa technicians seeks to cover, in a single law, all agricultural health laws, modernizing those that do not comply with advances already granted by federal laws. This simplification into a single document seeks to meet the needs of the category that is currently subject to a complex legal framework distributed across several different laws and regulations.

It also brings within its scope the sector's self-regulation, which is a necessary condition for the implementation of Federal Law No. 14.515/22, which established the program to encourage compliance in Agricultural Defense.

For the Agricultural Inspection manager, Janilson Júnior, opening the discussion of the code to representatives of the sector is a way of establishing participatory management with the private sector, and society in general. After the work of the study groups is completed, the code will be submitted to popular consultation before being sent to the Legislative Assembly of Goiás for a vote.

“We are proposing a code that helps in the management and execution of health controls. And, with this, minimize environmental impacts, adopt responsive and intelligent regulation and promote advances throughout the sector, as the laws applicable to it become less bureaucratic and easier to apply”, he argues.