The month of May 2018 saw a number of approvals granted for cultivation of biotech crops.
Regionally, Swaziland Environment Authority (SEA) granted two landmark approvals for importation of Bt cotton seed and environmental release of the crop, making the Kingdom of eSwatini the latest African country to adopt Bt cotton. Ethiopia made two approvals, Bt cotton for planting (environmental release) and special permit on WEMA maize for confined field trials. In Kenya, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) issued a license for conducting National Performance Trials of insect resistant cotton.
Globally, six countries made approvals for cultivation of four biotech crops for both food and feed use. Japan approved for food use, biotech soybean modified for herbicide tolerance and improved plant quality. Argentina approved for commercial use, biotech maize improved for herbicide-tolerance and insect-resistance. USA approved for food use, Golden Rice modified for enhanced Provitamin A content. Australia and New Zealand granted approvals to biotech cotton for food use, whereas South Korea approved for feed use, maize and soybean modified for both herbicide-tolerance and insect-resistance.
| May 29, 2018 | South Korea approved the maize event MON89034 x TC1507 x NK603 x MIR162 (HT + IR) and the soybean events DAS81419 x DAS44406 (HT + IR) and MON87708 x MON89788 x A5547-127 (stacked HT) for feed use. |
| May 25, 2018 | Australia and New Zealand approved the new cotton event GHB811(stacked HT) for food use. The new event has tolerance to glyphosate- and isoxaflutole-based herbicides. |
| May 24, 2018 | USA approved Golden Rice (PQ) for food use. |
| May 17, 2018 | Argentina approved the maize event MON87427 x MON89034 x MIR162 x MON87411 (HT x IR) for commercial use. |
| May 10, 2018 | Japan approved three new stacked soybean events for food use in late February: DP305423 x MON89788 (HT + PQ), DP305423 x MON87708(HT + PQ), and DP305423 x MON87708 x MON89788 (HT + PQ). |