This week in ag biotech… EU approves import of GM maize and biofuels in Africa could lead to better food security
Ag biotech expert Dr. C.S. Prakash talked to Soy Connection about the benefits of ag biotech, while researchers have found evidence that food security could actually be enhanced by planting biofuel crops.
EU approves six varieties of maize for import
Reuters reports that the European Commission on Wednesday approved six genetically modified (GM) maize varieties for import to the EU member countries. This demonstrates its desire to speed up European Union decisions on the technology.
The decision opens the way for fresh imports of the approved GM maize varieties from countries such as the United States, Brazil and Argentina.
Just this past week China’s government issued safety certificates to domestically developed strains of biotech rice and maize after years of review and testing. This decision is significant as China is the world’s top producer of rice, yielding about 30% of the world’s rice, and the second largest maize producer after the US.