b'worldSTATUS A look at seed industry developments around the globe.The EU works to findSTATUS EU about the mechanism ofsafety of GMO foods. It lays a way to make cropCrop protection agents mustaction of various types ofout specific committees that become more sustainable.microbial crop protectionwill help the authority regulate protection productsThe European Union (EU)agents and the risks involved. GMO foods.more sustainable, Ghanaand the Dutch governmentIt also lays out the pro-approves regulations totherefore accord preferencecesses for applying to intro-to biological agents that workSTATUS GHANA duce GMOs into the country, commercialize GMOs. on the basis of micro-organ- Ghanas parliament hashow to obtain permits for isms and insects. However,approved regulations thatimport and export of GMOs, new research conducted byopen the door for the countryhow monitoring and enforce-Wageningen University &to commercialize geneticallyment of GMOs should be Research (WUR) and othermodified (GMO) crops. done and how public edu-institutes reveals that EUThe regulations pave thecation on GMOs should be regulations make it unneces- way for the commercializationconducted.sarily expensive, cumbersomeof insect-resistant Bt cowpea,The regulations were and time-consuming to admitwhich will allow farmers toapproved on June 28, but the new biological crop protec- dramatically reduce theiraction was only announced tion agents. Fewer sustainableuse of pesticides and boostlate last week, when Finance agents based on micro- their yields. Researchers areMinister Ken Ofori-Atta organisms are entering thealso ready to move forwardpresented the governments market as a result. This poseswith NEWEST rice, which has2020 budget statement to an obstacle to the rapid,been engineered to requireparliament.green transition of agriculture.less nitrogen fertilizer, tolerateThe Finance Minister also The findings of this studydrought conditions and growannounced to parliament have been published in thein salty soilsand still givethat a new biotechnology scientific journal BioControl. good yield. development program will The study that has nowTo improve crops, webe rolled out next year. It will been publishedcarried outhave to modify the genomes.ensure the authority con-by Jrgen Khl (WUR), KeesAnd we are in support oftinues to undertake public Booij (WUR), Rogier Kolnaarthat, says Kwabena Frimpongawareness and education (Linge AgroconsultancyBoateng, Ghanas Ministercampaigns on issues relating B.V) and Willem Ravensbergfor Environment, Science,to GMOs. This will be targeted (Koppert Biological Systems)Technology and Innovation,at policy makers, students,focuses on the relevancewho introduced the enablingindustry players and farmers of certain EU conditions forlegislation this past March. in line with [United Nations the admission of biologicalIn Ghana, most lawsSustainable Development crop protection agents. In thispassed by parliament mustGoal] Target 12.a, Ofori-Atta respect conditions govern- be backed by subsidiarytold legislators.ing persistence, amongstlegislation before they can be other things, are involved. Animplemented. The biosafety important conclusion is thatregulations that parliamentSTATUS KENYAthe requirements for suchrecently adopted operational- Demonstration plots in Kenya agents are excessively strictize the National Biosafety Actshow that genetically modi-in a large number of cases.2011the parent law thatfied (GM) maize varieties are Consequently, at present itallows for the introduction ofmore effective in control-can take as long as five yearsGMO foods into the country. ling insect attacks than their to admit a biological pesticide. The newly approvedconventional counterpartsEarlier this year virtuallylegislation outlines how thewithout the use of pesticides.the same team of research- National Biosafety AuthorityAs a result of the pest ers published an article in(NBA) established under theprotection provided by the Bt Frontiers in Plant Scienceparent act will work to ensuregene, the GM maize outper-80/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2020'