Egypt Agricultural Biotechnology Annual 2014
Egypt was the first North African country to approve genetically engineered (GE) corn. However an aggressive media campaign led to a decree issued by a former Minister of Agriculture in March 2012 to suspend the planting and commercialization of the yellow corn variety Ajeeb-YG, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt. So for more than two years now, the cultivation and commercialization of genetically engineered crops in Egypt has been on hold. Despite the relatively advanced research and development of useful seed varieties, agricultural biotechnology is often either misconceived or misunderstood. This lack of misunderstanding requires a sustainable effort in risk communication, public awareness and outreach. The ministerial decree of suspending seed variety registration, cultivation and commercialization of genetically engineered crops is still in effect but could be reversed in the near future given new Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation (MALR) leadership.
