Browse Data and Analysis

The COVID 19 pandemic in Malaysia saw most government agencies operating at minimum staffing with most working from home throughout 2020 and 2021. This has severely impacted the number of GE events approved by the National Biosafety Board (NBB).

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 developments to convey since the previous report from October 2020. Although Burma (also called Myanmar) does not yet have a comprehensive biosafety legislation, the final version of the National Biosafety Framework and Biosafety Guidelines are completed and pending approval.

The Australian federal government is supportive of biotechnology and has committed considerable long-term funding to research and development.

This report provides the latest status of consumption, regulation, public perception, research, development, production, and use of agricultural biotechnology in Japan.

There have been no recent significant official changes to the genetically engineered (GE) policies established by the New Zealand government.

In 2021, Vietnam completed its approvals for the outstanding product applications for food and feed import. Vietnam continues to benefit from biotech corn as a sustainable tool in the fight against fall army worm (FAW) and increased the production area to more than one hundred thousand hectares (ha) in 2020/2021.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) has yet to send the draft Biodiversity Law, which includes biosafety regulations covering research, field trial, and commercialization for genetically engineered plant, animal, and microorganisms, to the Cabinet for approval.

On November 12, 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) published its "Decision to Revise the Administrative Measures for the Safety Assessment of Agricultural GMOs” on its website.

The Philippines is a regional biotechnology leader, highlighted by its passage in 2021 of Golden Rice for commercial propagation and Bt eggplant for direct use.

This report provides an unofficial translation of Vietnam’s Prime Minister Decision 1658/QD-TTg dated October 1, 2021, to approve the National Green Growth Strategy 2021-2030, vision to 2050.

Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) is seeking public comment on proposed revisions to its Food Labeling Standards, including two related to agricultural biotechnology. CAA proposes the addition of processed food containing genetically engineered...