BIOMASS HUB

The EU Commission has approved the import of genetically modified maize MIR604.  The approval was issued at the end of November by the commission, which raises the total to four GM maize varieties in the last month.  To date, US soy exports had been rejected by the EU because they were often tainted with dust from genetically modified plants banned in the EU (like MIR604).  According to a spokesperson of the European feed industry, the ruling “opens the door for large quantities of soybeans from the USA,” which is desperately needed to bolster current feed shortages.

Although the decision directly benefits both the EU and US agricultural industries, and specifically, the supply chain between feed and livestock, the ruling suggests that the EU’s tolerance for genetically modified organisms may be expanding.

More information on GMO trade wars between the EU and the US can be found here.