West Africa: 2014 Francophone West Africa Biotechnology Report

Since January 2014, the Burkinabe National Biosafety Agency (NBA) has been converting the status of the organization to a technical and scientific public institution (EPSET) for greater autonomy. Legal texts have been submitted to parliament for adoption. The Burkinabe National Institute of Environment and Agricultural Research (INERA) would like to conduct confined field trials on Bt cowpea with two local varieties. If authorized by the NBA, research could start this 2014/2015 agricultural campaign.Monsanto research on Bolgard II Roundup ready flex cotton, which started in 2006, is undergoing confined field trials. The company will start developing hybrid corn later in 2014. WAEMU, CILSS, and ECOWAS met in Mali in July 2014 and arrived at a consensus on the common regional biosafety law. A final draft could be issued by the end of 2014. In April 2014, Senegal finally assigned a new director to head the National Biosafety Authority (NBA). In May 2014, the Government of Cote d’Ivoire adopted a bill to authorize correction of an error made on the Cartagena Protocol draft lawseven years ago.

West Africa: 2014 Francophone West Africa Biotechnology Report