The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) launched, this Tuesday (26), the Unified System of Information, Petition and Electronic Evaluation (Sispa), a tool created to modernize, provide more transparency and increase the efficiency of the registration process for pesticides and related products in Brazil. The initiative complies with the provisions of Law No. 14,785/2023, which established Mapa as the registering body for pesticides and related products, in addition to providing for the adoption of a single protocol for registration requests and the creation of Sispa as an integrated electronic system for processing and evaluation. The system was developed in partnership with the private sector, with the participation of entities such as the Brazilian Cotton Producers Association (Abrapa) and the Brazilian Cotton Institute (IBA), which invested more than US$ 6 million in the project, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE). During the launch event, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, André de Paula, highlighted the importance of the new tool. “We have plenty of reasons to celebrate this moment. Sispa aims to modernize the registration of pesticides in Brazil. Our daily challenge is to build the conditions for an increasingly sustainable and competitive agriculture.” The minister also emphasized that the system is part of a broad effort of digital transformation in agricultural defense. “In addition to Sispa, we have reached the milestone of 100,000 electronic certificates for products of plant origin. All of this strengthens and modernizes our agriculture,” he stated. The Secretary of Agricultural Defense of the Ministry of Agriculture, Carlos Goulart, described the launch as a long-awaited moment for both the public and private sectors. “This modernization does not diminish technical rigor or requirements, but brings administrative efficiency. It reduces costs for the Union and delivers clear solutions for all involved. It is a very important day,” he said. With the new system, registration requests will be filed in a single electronic environment coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture. Previously, companies had to submit separate applications to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), responsible for toxicological evaluation, and the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), responsible for environmental evaluation. Sispa will allow the integration of analysis flows between the three federal agencies responsible for product evaluation, providing greater agility, traceability, and transparency at all stages of the process. The platform will also enable the generation and availability of information related to the registration and trade of pesticides and related products. The director of the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), Ambassador Ruy Pereira, highlighted that Sispa represents more than a technological advancement. “Sispa symbolizes the capacity we have in Brazil to converge the interests and actions of different institutions towards an integrated public solution, guided by efficiency, transparency, and the public interest,” he stated. Ruy Pereira added that the system also strengthens Brazil's position in demanding markets, such as the European Union, by reinforcing the safety and regulatory governance of pesticides. Representing IBA, the executive director of Abrapa, Márcio Portocarrero, emphasized the gains expected by the productive sector. “Producers expect the system to shorten deadlines, increase transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness of processes. We also expect that applications will be submitted in a more standardized way, reducing rework and allowing for greater agility in bringing new molecules to market,” he stated. On behalf of the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), Adalberto Maluf assessed the launch as a milestone for environmental governance. “The MMA considers Sispa a milestone and an important strategic advance to strengthen regulatory environmental governance. The system expands integration between the involved bodies and significantly increases the transparency and predictability of processes,” he said. The acting director-president of Anvisa, Leandro Safatle, highlighted that Sispa resolves a historical demand for integration between the bodies responsible for registration. “There were three distinct systems, with communication difficulties and little uniformity in procedural flows. Sispa represents an important evolution by integrating the processes of one of the largest regulatory systems in the world, involving more than 300 companies and about a thousand products registered annually,” he stated. With the new system, all petitions will be made in a unified and exclusively electronic way on a single platform. Companies will be able to monitor the progress of processes in the three bodies in real time, reducing the so-called “ping-pong effect” of documents. The implementation of Sispa reduces duplication of procedures, expands integration between the responsible bodies and strengthens the management of pesticide and related product registration processes in the country.
This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.