Ethiopia's National Variety Release Committee (NVRC) has approved the commercial release of genetically modified (GM) insect-resistant and drought-tolerant maize. The GM maize varieties offer protection against lepidopteran pests such as stem borers and fall armyworm and were developed as part of the TELA Maize Project. The project is a public-private partnership that is working towards initiating commercialisation of transgenic drought-tolerant and insect-protected maize varieties to enhance food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. TELA maize varieties have been approved in countries including Nigeria (see AgbioNews Jan 15, 2024), Kenya, and South Africa. The NVRC also authorised the commercialisation of Bt-GT cotton, an insect-resistant GM cotton variety intended to protect against bollworm.