Ethiopia approves cultivation of GM corn and cotton

Ethiopia has approved the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) maize and cotton varieties. The decision was made by the National Variety Registration Committee (NVRC).

The approval, granted early last week, covers the TELA maize varieties, which are genetically modified to protect against corn moth, diabrotica and drought, and the Bt-GT cotton variety, which is resistant to the cotton moth. The new varieties are reported to provide yield increases of up to 60% over conventional varieties.

Tesfaye Disasa, PhD and coordinator of the TELA maize project at the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), called the approval a milestone for the country’s agriculture. TELA maize seeds will be made available free of charge to smallholder farmers through local seed companies.

He noted that the approval process took seven years, including five years to obtain biotechnology authorization and another two years to produce the varieties. Similar transgenic maize varieties have already been successfully grown in other African countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.

The approval work was aimed at assessing the risks of transgenic maize hybrids to human and animal health as well as the environment. According to Ethiopian regulators, TELA maize is safe for human and animal consumption and has no impact on the environment. In addition, the insect pest resistant maize grain is free of mycotoxins and safer than conventional maize.

In addition to maize, NVRC approved the release of Bt-GT cotton, which is resistant to the cotton bollworm. The committee has approved one of the two varieties of Bt-GT-cotton submitted for approval, with two more being tested.

Ethiopia currently produces about 50,000 tons of cotton per year, but demand from the textile industry is projected to reach 200,000 tons over the next two years.

The introduction of Bt-GT cotton is expected to play a key role in meeting this demand. Field trials show that genetically modified cotton yields between 48 and 57 quintals per hectare, significantly higher than the 32 quintals yielded by local varieties.

The approval of GMO crops is in line with Ethiopia’s 15-year National Cotton Industry Development Strategy, which aims to produce 1.1 million tons of cotton from 1 million hectares of land. It envisions annual exports of 50,000 tons of cotton, potentially generating US$125 million in revenue.

Ethiopia’s switch to GMOs is part of its efforts to position itself as a leader in the African textile and apparel industry. The decision also addresses the widespread problem in Africa of the illegal importation of GMO seeds.

Tags: Ethiopia, corn