New reduced-browning banana varieties have been classified as non-genetically modified organisms by the Philippines Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Plant Industry on June 21, 2024. 

The gene-edited banana has been cleared for production in the Philippines and can be freely imported and propagated in the country.

The gene-edited banana plant with reduced browning was developed by UK-based agricultural biotechnology company Tropic Biosciences using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system.

The CRISPR gene editing system aims to address banana waste, as over 60% of exported bananas go to waste before reaching the consumer. The company's new fruit releases, TRB011001 and TRB011002, have the potential to reduce food waste and CO2 emissions by more than 25%. 

BPI granted the same certification to another reduced browning banana by the same company in 2023. The banana was the first gene-edited product to go through the Philippines' gene editing regulatory process.

The Philippines is the top producer and exporter of the fruit in Southeast Asia, but due to the Panama disease Tropic Race 4, which threatens 80% of global banana production, its global market share has decreased.

According to a statement by Tropic's Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Ofir Meir, the company's goal is to develop disease-resistant bananas that can address the problematic disease. Long-term, Tropic is looking to introduce several products in the Philippines over the next decade.