August 17, 2007

 

Brazil biosafety commission approves Monsanto GM corn

 

 

Brazil's biosafety commission, CTNBio, on Thursday (August 16) approved the commercial release of the country's second transgenic corn variety, Guardian, this one produced by US biotech multinational Monsanto, a spokeswoman for CTNBio told Dow Jones Newswires.

 

At the same meeting, the commission also voted in favour of a plan to monitor and plant the country's first commercially-approved transgenic corn variety: Bayer CropScience's Liberty Link.

 

In May, CTNBio had initially approved Liberty Link for commercial release, but the country's legislation also requires that transgenic crops be planted under an environmentally-conscious scheme that must also be approved by the commission, said the spokeswoman.

 

Corn is Brazil's No. 2 crop, after soy. While transgenic soy and cotton can be planted in the South American nation, transgenic corn, for the moment, isn't allowed in the country.

 

Despite CTNBio's approval of the two genetically-modified corn crops, transgenic corn still has an uphill battle in Brazil, due to warnings from environmentalists that the genetically-modified crop hasn't been tested adequately in Brazilian conditions.

 

There are also worries that corn, a cross-pollinating plant, can have its pollen carried by wind to other areas.

 

In late June, a federal judge issued a court order banning Liberty Link, citing environmental reasons.

 

On top of this court battle, LibertyLink must also gain approval from Brazil's inter-ministerial National Biosecurity Council, before the crop can finally be planted commercially.

 

Meanwhile, Monsanto must also prepare a plan to monitor and plant its transgenic corn variety, Guardian, for CTNBio's approval.

 

"I expect the process will take a year and a half, or two years, before real commercial release of transgenic corn occurs," said the CTNBio spokeswoman.