The Ethiopian Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with AUDA-NEPAD, organised a workshop for the review of biosafety application for environmental release of insect resistant and drought tolerant GM maize and for confined field trials of late blight resistant GM potato, from 8 – 10 November 2021 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

In the past weeks, Ethiopia has been evaluating an application for environmental release of insect resistant and drought tolerant GM maize stacked traits event, known as TELA maize, for environmental release. The country has also received an application for confined field trial (CFT) of late blight tolerant GM potato. Thus, the workshop aimed to provide technical support for the review of TELA maize application for environmental release and the initial review for the GM potato application for CFT.

Twenty-four regulators including members of the National Biosafety Advisory Committee (NBAC) attended the workshop. During the sessions, a draft document was prepared to inform and invite the public to submit comments on the TELA maize application. The document was discussed, and amendments made as appropriate. The public will hereafter submit their written comments.

The meeting, after an introductory presentation by a representative of the applicant, accomplished an initial review of the GM potato application.

At the end of the workshop, it was decided that the NBAC shall start drafting the decision on TELA maize which will be finalised after public comments have been received. It was also agreed that the NBAC shall decide on the GM potato application before the end of the year.

Participants of the workshop seized this opportunity to express their appreciation for the continued support being provided by the AUDA-NEPAD Biosafety Programme to create an enabling regulatory environment for the safe adoption of GM crops for agricultural development in Ethiopia.