Market access to the US of 24 identified food crops from India will be hampered due to non-GMO certification requirement

Recently a source said that “The US has raised fresh concerns over the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) order mandating non-GM origin and GM-free certification for import of 24 identified food crops, including apples, pineapples and wheat, and has argued that this was impeding joint efforts to increase market access for agricultural items.” At the recent India-US Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meet, India justified its stand and requirement on non-GMO certification by re-emphasizing that GM food was not allowed in the country but it was insisted by Washington that there should be more discussions on the matter and exploration of alternatives. The source added that “The TPF joint statement does not specifically mention non-GMO certification as India did not want to give any commitments. Instead, it talks about exchanging information on standards and conformity assessment procedures to ensure the requirements are no more trade-restrictive than necessary and are in line ...