The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on September 29, 2025, that it determined that MON 95379 Lepidopteran-Protected Maize (corn), which was developed using genetic engineering to produce two insecticidal proteins to protect against feeding damage caused by target lepidopteran pests, is no longer considered regulated. 90 Fed. Reg. 46546. APHIS states that its determination is based on its evaluation of information and data...
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August 7, 2025
APHIS Seeks Comment on Petition to Deregulate Corn Developed Using Genetic Engineering
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on July 8, 2025, that it has received a petition from Bayer CropScience seeking a determination of nonregulated status for MON 95275 maize (corn) that has been developed using genetic engineering to produce two insecticidal proteins and a double-stranded RNA transcript to provide protection from feeding damage caused by targeted coleopteran (corn rootworm) insect pests. 90 Fed. Reg. 30035....
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on December 20, 2024, that the United States prevailed in its dispute under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) challenging certain Mexican biotechnology measures concerning genetically engineered (GE) corn. Under a February 2023 presidential decree, Mexico banned immediately the use of GE corn in dough and tortillas and instructed government agencies to eliminate gradually the use of GE corn for other food uses and in animal...
By Lynn L. Bergeson On July 8, 2019, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) announced the winners of the Consider Corn Challenge II, a challenge intended to highlight the range of biobased materials that can be produced with field corn feedstock. The three winners included: ExoPolymer, Inc. for a plan to create a new profile of customizable, polysaccharide-based hydrocolloids that are domestically produced by microbial fermentation using corn sugar as a feedstock. These new hydrocolloids...
June 23, 2017
NCGA Launches The “Consider Corn Challenge”
By Lauren M. Graham, Ph.D. On June 7, 2017, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), along with innovation facilitator NineSigma, announced the launch of a global competition to identify new and innovative uses for corn as a renewable feedstock for making sustainable chemicals with significant market demand. The Consider Corn Challenge is intended to be a starting point to help industry realize the full potential of corn by inspiring new concepts, approaches, and technologies...
The Bioeconomy Coalition of Minnesota is advocating strongly for two bills in the state that if passed would result in a two-year, $5 million production incentive for producers, and a capital loan equipment program. The bills, HF 536 and SF 517, would benefit companies that develop biochemicals, advanced biofuels, and anaerobic digestion projects. There is concern, however, that the legislation would increase the production of corn rather than encourage the production of crops that do not...