Government Research Institute Produces Transgenic Soy Seed
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Governmental regulators have approved the injection of science into the domestic bean crop. The National Technical Bio-safety Commission approved on Thursday, the first genetically modified product developed by Brazilian national public institutions: transgenic soy.
Transgenic Soy (photo: O Globo)
There were fifteen votes in favor, two abstentions and five requests for more information before proceeding. The seeds are expected to reach market in two to three years.
The product was developed by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), after ten years of research. The transgenic soy is resistant to golden mosaic virus, which can cause the loss of bean crops and which is present in all areas of production.
“The new seeds positively affect many areas: scientific, environmental, economic and worker health,” said Francisco Aragon, a researcher at EMBRAPA.
Support for the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) foods, however, is far from unanimous. The legal adviser of the NGO Terra de Direitos, or Land of Rights, Ana Carolina de Almeida Brolo, sharply criticized the approval of the gm beans:
“In the face of such a flagrant offense against the law and the democracy, threats to producers and farmers, lack of human safety studies we see no other alternative but to seek redress through the legal system and the courts. In July, we were successful in stopping GM corn after it had been approved,” she said.
Brazilian online news source: O Globo
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