Since 2008, when Egypt officially agreed to allow the planting and selling of Monsanto’s genetically modified corn, the country has received two shipments of the product. The most recent shipment, made in January of this year, was seized by theEgyptian Ministry of Agriculture because it had not been formally approved by the Ministry of the Environment. Such approval is consistent with Egypt’s ratification of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in 2003. The purpose of this Protocol is to ensure the safe handling, transport and use of GMOs between countries. However, there has been some controversy in Egypt because the Biosafety law drafted by the country was blocked by the Ministry of Agriculture, a move that many saw as politically motivated, and a result of meddling done by Monsanto. The Ministry of Agriculture eventually agreed to the law, but the country is still waiting on its promulgation.
Read the full story of Egypt’s struggle to regulate GMOs here:
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/egypt-s-legal-battle-regulate-monsanto-s-gmos-0
