Browse Data and Analysis

On November 17, 2021, the European Commission published a proposal for legislation aimed at preventing products causing deforestation or forest degradation from entering the EU market.

Hungary is one of the strongest opponents of agricultural biotechnology in the European Union. Maintaining the country’s GE-free status is still a government priority.

Korea is in the process of revising its existing Living Modified Organism (LMO) Act to cover products of innovative biotechnologies, including genome edited products.

There are no significant changes to the agricultural biotechnology situation in the Czech Republic in 2021. The country generally maintains a scientific approach towards biotechnology.

Public rejection of genetically engineered (GE) plants in Germany is widespread. There is no commercial GE crop production and practically no foods labeled as containing “genetically modified organisms” (“GMO”) on the market.

Cotton continues to be the only genetically engineered (GE) crop approved for cultivation and use. Regulatory uncertainty prevents life science companies from seeking approval for any other GE crops, and the National Biosafety Committee is still developing regulations on imports of GE commodities intended for food, feed, and processing.

The Ministry of Agriculture’s December 24, 2020, decree prevents agricultural genetically engineered product development, commercialization and import into Algeria. FAS Algiers continues to support biotechnology researchers through the Borlaug scientific exchange program.

In order to move forward in the area of agriculture biotechnology, Egypt needs a biosafety legal framework. The absence of a legal framework inhibits field trials, as well as the commercial use of genetically engineered (GE) crops.

Morocco continues to import agricultural products derived from genetically engineered (GE) technologies for use in animal feed products. No GE products have been developed or commercialized for local production in Morocco.

Croatia is a net food importer; government policy is geared primarily towards raising agricultural productivity and then controlling imports. Although Croatia has adopted the European Union’s (EU) biotech legislation, Croatia is a part of a group of EU member states that “opted-out” of planting genetically engineered (GE) seeds.

The Dominican Republic continues to be a strong market for U.S. bulk agricultural products (corn), intermediate goods (soybean meal), and high value consumer-oriented products (processed food products), reaching a total export value of $1.4 billion in 2020.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) allows permitted import of genetically engineered (GE) products based on the 2009 Law on “Genetically Modified Organisms” (“GMOs”) and its pertaining bylaws.