Seminars on Genetically Engineered Plants and Biosafety Regulation

The Agriculture & Food Systems Institute worked with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and BRIDGES, an agricultural extension center, to co-organize two seminars in Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 19 and 22, 2023, with participants attending in person and international experts joining virtually. Both seminars delivered an overview of the products of modern biotechnology and genome edited (GE) plants to varying stakeholder groups in Ukraine, with the aim of providing a better understanding of GE plants, the context for their regulation for agricultural use, the benefits of having a functional regulatory system in place, and the role regulatory frameworks play in addressing the challenges faced in agriculture. Talks also covered the science of genome editing, the global regulatory landscape, and approaches adopted by countries worldwide. The seminar included talks specific to the European Union (EU) that provided information on agricultural biotechnology regulations and ongoing discussions on genome editing in the bloc.