World's first transgenic cassava approved in Kenya

Kenya became the first country in the world to pass national performance tests on genetically modified (GM) cassava grown by gene silencing using interfering RNA. Cassava is a very important staple food in Kenya, but brown streak disease (CBSD) can destroy 98% of the crop. The virus-resistant genetically modified varieties were developed by a local public authority and will increase productivity, supporting food security and production. The improved crop, which has been genetically modified to provide resistance to the destructive disease caused by the cassava brown streak virus (CBSD), was developed by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO). Cassava now becomes the 5th transgenic crop in Africa approved for open cultivation after cotton, corn, soybeans and cowpea. The Kenya National Biosafety Authority (NBA) approved the environmental release request on June 15, following a comprehensive safety assessment that showed cassava varieties containing event ...