Browse Data and Analysis

In November 2024, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MinAF) unveiled details of its Agricultural Production Plan (Plan), which aims to optimize and make Turkish agriculture more sustainable.

On March 1, 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MinAF) published two Biosafety Decisions on the production of two more enzymes using Aspergillus oryzae improved by modern biotechnological methods.

Sri Lanka’s agricultural biotechnology policies remain unchanged. Over the past year, there has been no progress in the approval of its draft Biosafety Act, which establishes a system to protect biodiversity, the environment and human, plant and animal health while minimizing the risks of biotechnology.

Türkiye’s Biosafety Law continues to threaten imports and imposes a heavy financial burden on the country’s agri-food sector. The number of approved of genetically engineered (GE) events remains arbitrarily fixed at 36 and only includes traits in corn and soy for feed use. There are no approvals for food use due to public sensitivities about the technology.

On June 28, 2024, the Turkish government published biosafety decisions reapproving the import of seven genetically engineered (GE) corn events for feed (Bt11, DAS1507, DAS59122, NK603, GA21, MON89034, MON88017) which had expired, and provided new approvals for three enzymes produced from GE-Aspergillius oryzae for industrial purposes.

Sri Lanka does not produce genetically engineered (GE) crops or animals. There is some GE research at the laboratory level, but there is no commercialization. The lack of a legal framework and biosafety procedures are a major setback; the country...

While Colombia´s regulatory environment remains friendly toward the adoption of biotechnology-derived crops and products, congressional anti-biotechnology initiatives pose a threat to further acceptance, and risk undermining future investments to benefit consumers and the agricultural sector.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka’s (Sri Lanka) Ministry of Health recently amended the Food (Control of Import, Labeling, and Sale of Genetically Modified Foods) Regulations (2006).

On December 30, 2022, the Turkish Government published a Biosafety Decision to reapprove the import of a genetically engineered (GE) stacked corn event, NK603 X MON 810, for feed. In a separate government action, the single event MON 810 was canceled due to a recent court decision. With these latest changes, the total number of approved GE events remains at 36.

Sri Lanka does not produce genetically engineered (GE) crops or animals. There is some GE research at the laboratory level, but there is no commercialization. The lack of a legal framework and biosafety procedures are a major setback; the country is in the process of finalizing regulatory biotechnology policies.

Turkey published its Biosafety Law and implementing regulations in 2010. This legislation has continued to disrupt trade and Turkey’s domestic agriculture and food sectors. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is the sole authority for biotechnology approvals. The Ministry approved seven genetically engineered soybean and corn events in 2022.

On January 7, 2022, the Turkish Government published Biosafety Decisions on the import of genetically engineered (GE) soybean and corn events. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MinAF) approved one new soybean event and one new corn event for feed and cancelled the approvals of two corn events which expired on 12/24/2021.