Browse Data and Analysis

On November 15, 2021, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued draft regulations for Genetically Modified Organisms or Genetically Engineered Organisms, or Living Modified Organisms intended for direct use as food or for processing.

The COVID 19 pandemic in Malaysia saw most government agencies operating at minimum staffing with most working from home throughout 2020 and 2021. This has severely impacted the number of GE events approved by the National Biosafety Board (NBB).

Sri Lanka does not produce genetically engineered (GE) crops or animals. Some GE research, however, occurs at the laboratory level, but that research does not reach commercialization.

India remains undecided on genetically engineered (GE) crops, despite its regulatory authorities clearing on the environmental release of GE eggplant and mustard events. Bt cotton (Bacillus thuringiensis) is the only biotech crop approved for commercial cultivation.

On November 17, 2021, the European Commission published a proposal for legislation aimed at preventing products causing deforestation or forest degradation from entering the EU market.

Hungary is one of the strongest opponents of agricultural biotechnology in the European Union. Maintaining the country’s GE-free status is still a government priority.

Korea is in the process of revising its existing Living Modified Organism (LMO) Act to cover products of innovative biotechnologies, including genome edited products.

There are no significant changes to the agricultural biotechnology situation in the Czech Republic in 2021. The country generally maintains a scientific approach towards biotechnology.

Public rejection of genetically engineered (GE) plants in Germany is widespread. There is no commercial GE crop production and practically no foods labeled as containing “genetically modified organisms” (“GMO”) on the market.

Cotton continues to be the only genetically engineered (GE) crop approved for cultivation and use. Regulatory uncertainty prevents life science companies from seeking approval for any other GE crops, and the National Biosafety Committee is still developing regulations on imports of GE commodities intended for food, feed, and processing.

The Ministry of Agriculture’s December 24, 2020, decree prevents agricultural genetically engineered product development, commercialization and import into Algeria. FAS Algiers continues to support biotechnology researchers through the Borlaug scientific exchange program.

In order to move forward in the area of agriculture biotechnology, Egypt needs a biosafety legal framework. The absence of a legal framework inhibits field trials, as well as the commercial use of genetically engineered (GE) crops.