**4.4 Sugar crops**

Brazil and Indonesia are the only 2 countries to cultivate GM sugarcane. Brazil started the cultivation insect resistant GM sugarcane and approved its usage for food and feed purposes from 2017. It was developed by Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira (CTC) that contains *cry1Ab* gene for conferring resistance against lepidopteran insects. Canada and United States have approved its usage as food. On the other hand, Indonesia adopted the cultivation of drought resistant GM sugarcane and approved to be used as food and processing food products from 2011. It contains *EcBetA* gene catalyzes the production of the osmoprotectant compound glycine betaine conferring tolerance to water stress. Only 3 countries adopted the cultivation of GM sugar beet, Roundup Ready™ sugar beet. Australia and the USA approved in 2005 and Japan in 2007. However, Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, European Union, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and USA have approved its use as direct food or processed food. This GM sugar beet was developed by Monsanto Company. There are two more commercially available GM sugar beet plants are present, they are InVigor™ sugar beet developed by Novartis Seeds and Monsanto Company and Liberty Link™ sugar beet developed by Bayer CropSciene.
