March 18, 2008

 

Brazil's sale of GM corn lags as opposing sectors stir fresh round of debates

 

 

Brazil's sale of two genetically modified corn, which it approved in February, is expected to be delayed further as some opposing groups point out the adverse impact of seed patenting to the country.

 

The Brazilian National Biosafety Council recently approved Bayers Liberty Link variety, which is resistant to the glufosinate ammonium herbicide and a Monsanto's Mon 810 which is resistant to insects.

 

Jose Maria da Silveira, an agroeconomist from the Unicamp University, in São Paulo State, said that the delay has been due to a variety of structural reasons, including rural poverty, inequalities in the possession of the land, rural conflicts in controversy with agrobusiness, and others.

 

Jose Maria pointed that all the factors contributed to the view that modernisation of agriculture is solely an interest in profit, and not to benefit the society as a whole.

 

Despite the approval to commercialise genetically modified (GM) corn in Brazil, the issue persists as the health ministry and its branch, the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), announced that the food with GM corn in its composition will only be sold if Anvisa has considered the security of society.

 

The Biosafety Council's decision is still open for further discussion, the anti-GM parties said.

 

Questions remain about the acceptance and usefulness of GM food. In 2004, an opinion survey indicated that 74 percent of Brazilians pferer non-transgenic food.

 

Agronomist Gabriel Fernandes said that Brazilian agriculture does not need GM seeds as there has been no increase in productivity and the GM soy does not contribute to the reduction of cost, nor to a reduction in the use of defensive chemicals.

 

Around 23 countries in all the world use biotechnology in agriculture, and Brazil is the third to use GM crops, closely following the US and Argentina.

 

Jose Maria said that GM varieties are planted on approximately 100 million hectares around the world, with varieties of corn, soy, cotton, sunflower, and rapeseed.

 

In Brazil, specialists estimate that the planted area for GM soy and GM cotton reaches 15 million hectares.

 

In 2007, the area had expanded 30 percent from 2005, two-and-a-half times the world average.

 

Jose Maria projected the growth of GM use in a short period. In the future, papaya, tomato and bean crops will be resistant to virus, which is crucial to small farmers and consumers, he explained.

 

He added that the real aim of GM crops is to minimise planting risks, reduce use of chemical products and improve agriculture agricultural production.

 

Costs associated with patents on GM seeds also are an issue. Economist Antonio Marcio Buainain of Unicamp University, said the costs are unclear, in part because there are so many different royalties to be paid.

 

However, Buainain said, the problem is the lower investment in science and technology.

 

Meanwhile, Monsanto in a recent press release, showed two studies which concluded that genetically modified corn was responsible for the reduction of seven thousand tons of agricultural pesticides.