Weekly Report - 29 April 2021 (WR-21-17)

Bolivia’s President Luis Arce has repealed three decrees introduced by his predecessor, interim president Jeanine Áñez (2019-2020), which had liberalised the use of genetic modification (GM) techniques in agriculture. Heralded by the government as a sign of its commitment to environmentalism, the move was met with anger by Bolivian agricultural associations. However, within days the government was also facing a backlash from environmental groups after announcing that it is working on a legal framework to regulate, and thereby reauthorise, GM farming.