Crop Biotech Update

October 30, 2019

Niger Parliament Approves National Biosafety Law

The Republic of Niger has taken a bold step in passing the Biosafety Law on October 17, 2019 in Niamey. The country has a population of approximately 23.5 million people and the need to guarantee food security is key for their government. The new law will provide safety measures in research and development with respect to modern biotechnology and for transboundary movement of living modified organisms (LMOs) as well as products thereof. Adoption of biotechnology also positions the country to benefit from the fast growing technology by addressing health and environmental safety concerns of its citizens.

'Oppressively burdensome' Gov't Regulations Impede Longed-for Approval of Golden Rice

"Countless women and children died or went blind in those intervening years as a result of government-imposed regulatory delay, " according to Ed Regis, a science writer and author of the book, Golden Rice: The Imperiled Birth of a GMO Superfood.

Biotech Soybeans Now Cover 50% of the World's Biotech Crop Area

The four major biotech crops � soybeans, maize, cotton, and canola � were the most adopted biotech crops by 26 countries in 2018, according to the ISAAA report, Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops in 2018. Soybeans lead at 95.9 million hectares, followed by maize (58.9 million hectares), cotton (24.9 million), and canola (10.1 million hectares). Based on the FAO global area for these crops, 78% of soybeans, 76% of cotton, 30% of maize, and 29% of canola were biotech crops in 2018.

Harvard, MIT Experts Develop New Gene Editing Technology

Experts from Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University developed a new gene editing approach by putting together two of the most vital proteins in molecular biology, CRISPR-Cas9 and a reverse transcriptase, into one system. The new system called prime editing is capable of editing mammalian cells in a precise, efficient, and highly versatile fashion. The study was published in Nature.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

PLANT BREEDING INNOVATIONS

GM APPROVAL UPDATES

The USA approved sugarcane event CTC91087-6 for food and feed.
The USA approved maize event DBN9858 for food and feed.
The USA approved potato event Gen2-Z6 for food and feed.
The USA approved cotton MON88702 for cultivation.
The USA approved petunia event A1-DFR for cultivation.
The USA approved maize event PY203 for cultication.

Visit GM APPROVAL DATABASE

The Crop Biotech Update is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a non-for-profit organization. The CBU is distributed for free to over 23,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in agricultural biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.

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