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The Philippines has been a pioneer within Asia in adopting biotechnology crops. On April 17, 2024, the Court of Appeals (CA) ruling on the Writ of Kalikasan revoked the biosafety permit for commercial propagation of golden rice and directed the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) to cease and desist from commercially propagating and conducting activities relating to Bt eggplant.

Over the past two decades, India’s political landscape continues to hinder the developments in agriculture biotechnology. Bt cotton (Bacillus thuringiensis) approved in 2002 remains the sole biotech-derived crop approved for commercial cultivation.

India remains undecided on genetically engineered (GE) crops and products derived from biotechnology (biotech) for food and feed use.

The Philippines has been a pioneer within Asia in adopting biotechnology crops, and recently approved Bt cotton as the 4th genetically engineered (GE) crop cleared for commercial propagation after corn (2002), rice (2021), and eggplant (2022). The...

On August 24, 2023, the Philippines marked Bt cotton as the 4th genetically engineered crop approved for commercial propagation after corn (2002), rice (2021), and eggplant (2022).

On November 21, 2022, the Government of India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) notified its draft notification F.No. 1/Standards/GMO&F/Misc/FSSAI/2018 (November 18, 2022).

India remains undecided on genetically engineered (GE) crops, despite its regulatory authorities clearing on the environmental release of GE eggplant and mustard events. Bt cotton (Bacillus thuringiensis) remains the sole crop derived from biotechnology (biotech) approved for commercial cultivation.

The Philippines is a regional biotechnology leader and the first country in the world to approve Golden Rice for commercial propagation. The Bt Eggplant biosafety permit was signed on October 17, 2022, allowing commercial propagation. Planting of Golden Rice has started since its approval in 2021, while Bt corn acceptance has grown with more than 600,000 hectares planted in 2021.

On October 18, 2022, The Government of the Philippines marked Bt eggplant as its third genetically engineered crop approved for commercial propagation, following Bt corn and Golden Rice.

FAS New Delhi (Post) secured confirmation from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India that prunes from plums (Prunus domestica) are a processed food product (dried fruit), and as such are not subject to the non-Genetically Modified (GM) cum GM-Free status certificate requirement.

Effective March 1, 2021, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) requires a certificate for Non-Genetically Modified (GM) and GM-Free status for all apples, all origins being imported into the country.

On February 24, 2021, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) published a clarification of acceptable certifying authority options for compliance with its Genetically Modified...