EU Approves Monsanto’s RoundUp Ready 2 Xtend Soybeans
After months of delays due to ongoing debates about the safety of glyphosate herbicides, the European Commission has granted approval for the import and processing of Monsanto’s RoundUp Ready 2 Xtend soybeans.
The 10-year approval grants the soybeans the ability to be used in animal feed and for human consumption. However, they were not approved to be grown by EU farmers, and stipulates that any products produced from the soybeans “will be subject to the EU’s strict labeling and traceability rules”.
China, the world’s largest importer, gave regulatory approval to the soybean earlier this year, and Monsanto states that the demand from China will account for 15 million soybean acres.
After China, the EU is the world’s second largest soybean importer. Producing less than one million tons of soy per year, the EU imports 35 million tons to meet the annual needs of its dairy and livestock sectors.
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