IFRA hosts webinar on biodiversity legislation in Latin America

On 25 February 2026, IFRA held a members-only webinar on biodiversity legislation in Latin America, with a focus on Brazil. Hosted by Eduardo Valle, IFRA's Regional Manager for LATAM, and featuring opening remarks by IFRA's President, Alexander Mohr PhD and Vice President of Scientific Affairs, Dr Matthias Vey, the session drew over 200 participants from across the global fragrance value chain, reflecting the growing urgency around regulatory compliance in the region. As Mr Mohr noted, nature is the foundation of the fragrance business, and understanding the legal frameworks governing access to genetic resources is essential for sustainable and compliant operations.

The keynote was delivered by Anita Pissolito Campos, Senior Partner at Nascimento & Mourão Lawyers, who provided a comprehensive overview of Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) obligations across key LATAM markets, including Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Chile and Mexico, and their varying levels of alignment with the Nagoya Protocol. A particular focus was placed on Brazil's Law 13,123/2015 (“Biodiversity Law”) and the SisGen registration system, as well as the sector-specific implications of Technical Guidance No. 6 for fragrance intermediates. 

The session also addressed the landmark Cali Fund, established under Decision 16/2 at COP-16, which introduces a multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism for the use of Digital Sequence Information and is expected to be a central topic at COP-17 in Armenia later this year.