Ethiopia has legally allowed field trials of GM potatoes that are said to be resistant to late blight, reports Agropages.com portal.
Approval from the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Agency a few weeks ago gives the Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research (EIAR) permission to plant potatoes in a limited trial area.
Ethiopia is implementing a plan to deregulate the production of GM crops that were created through gene editing, a type of genetic modification that is strictly restricted in the EU. At the same time, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Potato Center (CIP) are promoting GM potatoes in Africa.
A genetically modified late blight resistant potato was developed by the largest German chemical concern BASF.
The GM potato has become the third GM food to be allowed for commercial production in Ethiopia.
The topic of GM crops is hotly debated. Some experts consider plants with altered genes a panacea for the food crisis that threatens humanity. Other experts question not only the ability of such products to solve the problem of hunger, but also the very safety of eating GMOs.