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In February 2025, Ethiopia’s National Variety Release Committee (NVRC) approved the commercial release of three TELA maize hybrid varieties.

Despite the private sector's support for biotechnology, Venezuela maintains a ban on the domestic use and research of modern biotechnology-derived agriculture. Venezuela’s basis for the ban is through the Seed Law of December 2015, which also prohibits the importation of genetically engineered (GE) seeds.

Despite private sector support for biotechnology, Venezuela’s ban on the domestic use of and research on modern biotechnology-derived agriculture remains in place. The backbone of this ban is the Seed Law of December 2015, which also prohibits the importation of genetically-engineered seeds.

Ethiopian farmers and researchers have tried to address food security shortfalls and plant health issues through conventional breeding without success.

In 2018, the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) authorized cultivation of genetically engineered (GE) cotton by granting official approvals for environmental release.

The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (GBRV) bans the use and research of modern biotechnology-derived agriculture.

In May, the Ethiopian Ministry of Environment approved Bt cotton – the country’s first biotech crop – for cultivation.

Ethiopia completed its second round of Bt cotton confined field trials in 2017 and commercialization is expected within the next couple of years.

The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (GBRV) bans the use and research of modern biotechnology-derived agriculture.

Continued interest expressed by farmers and agricultural scientists to improve agricultural output via biotechnology has not resulted in a legal framework for either testing or commercializing...

For the past several years, Ethiopia has invested in establishing the legal and regulatory systems, as well as the technical capacity to support and manage the adoption of genetically engineered...

On August 14, 2015, the President of Ethiopia signed into law the necessary regulatory framework that will allow the cultivation of genetically-engineered Bt cotton.