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'''Bt Eggplant''' (called Bt Brinjal in Indiaand Bt Talong in the Philippines) is an eggplant that has been [[genetically engineered]] to produce an insecticide ([[Bacillus thuringiensis]] or [[Bt]] toxin) in every cell. Bt eggplant was developed by the [[Monsanto]] subsidiary [[Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company]] ([[MAHYCO]]), which applied for GE eggplant to be permitted to be grown commercially in India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.<ref>[http://news.agropages.com/News/NewsDetail---3369.htm India: Signs of food toxicity in GE eggplant]," AgroNews, January 18, 2011, Accessed May 13, 2011.</ref><ref name="Fact Sheet"/> [[Monsanto]] has a 26% stake in MAHYCO.<ref>"[http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_indian-bt-brinjal-developed-by-mahyco-monsanto_1346159 Indian Bt brinjal developed by Mahyco: Monsanto]," DNA India, February 10, 2010, Accessed June 7, 2012.</ref> The [[U.S. Agency for International Development]] (USAID) and [[Cornell University]] worked with MAHYCO in the development of Bt eggplant.<ref name="Fact Sheet">[http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/agriculture/biotechnology/BT_eggplant_FS_webversion_final.pdf Pest Resistant Eggplant: India, Bangadesh, Philippines], [[USAID]] Fact Sheet.</ref> According to USAID, Bt eggplant "will be made available on a royalty-free basis to smallholder farmers through a novel public-private partnership."<ref name="Fact Sheet"/> == Bt Eggplant ==:"Cry1Ac is a gene from the naturally occurring bacterium, [[Bacillus thuringiensis]] (Bt), and produces an insecticidal protein that has a toxic effect on many caterpillars, including the eggplant fruit and shoot borer. The eggplant fruit and shoot borer is a major insect pest of eggplant in many parts of the world and is very difficult to control using conventional methods. Transgenic eggplants that express the Cry1Ac gene have been developed that effectively control the eggplant fruit and shoot borer."<ref name="June2012">[http://agrilinks.kdid.org/library/agricultural-biotechnology%C2%A0support-project-abspii-product-summaries The Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project (ABSPII) Product Summaries], June 2012.</ref> As of June 2012::"Partners in India have developed transgenic Bt eggplant varieties. The Bt eggplant was approved by India’s [[Genetic Engineering Approval Committee]] (GEAC) but commercialization of the crop is under a moratorium imposed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. :"In Bangladesh the product development is nearing completion and efforts are under way to present the final regulatory dossier to the Government of Bangladesh. :"Partners in the Philippines are conducting multi­‐location field trials in five locations."<ref name="June2012"/>

USAID lists its partner organizations on the Bt eggplant project as:<ref name="Fact Sheet"/><ref name="June2012"/>

* Indian Governmentof India, Department of Biotechnology