Browse Data and Analysis

This is a regional report on West Africa that primarily covers Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Mali, but also provides brief overviews in certain sections for Niger, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania.

The planting of genetically engineered (GE) crops is currently not authorized and there is no biosafety legal framework in place in Egypt. The absence of a biosafety framework contributes directly to a lack of public awareness, funding, and trust in agricultural biotechnology.

The planting of GE crops in Egypt is currently not authorized as there is no biosafety legal framework in place. The absence of a legal biosafety framework impedes field trials and commercialization of GE crops.

Egypt requires a biosafety legal framework. Without one, the country cannot move forward in the area of agricultural biotechnology. The absence of a legal framework impedes field trials, as well as the commercial use of genetically engineered (GE) crops.

The primary focus of agriculture research in Egypt is crop improvement and crop variety development.

The major objective of agricultural research in Egypt is the production of plant varieties that consume less water and that are higher yielding to benefit small scale farmers.

The lack of an enacted biosafety law has led to promulgation of various decrees dealing with agricultural biotechnology. Oversight falls under the purview of four different ministries.

FAS Cairo supported and assisted the visit of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists Dr. Gayle Volk (Plant Germplasm Preservation Research Unit....

On March 5, 2017, the Egyptian Ministry of Environment submitted a new biosafety bill to the cabinet.

On October 20, 2016, the Egyptian Ministry of Environment (MOE) submitted a new draft biosafety bill to the cabinet. The bill is currently being cleared by the cabinet’s Judicial Reform Committee...

On September 7, 2014 the former Minister of Agriculture Dr. Adel El Beltagy issued Ministerial Decree # 1495 to reestablish the National Biosafety Committee (NBC).

Egypt was the first North African country to approve genetically engineered (GE) corn.