Agência Brasil

O Ministério do Meio Ambiente divulgou nota informando que o presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva definiu hoje à tarde, em reunião no Palácio do Planalto, a posição brasileira sobre as regras para a identificação de carregamentos com organismos vivos modificados para fins de importação e exportação: defende o uso da palavra "contém" nas cargas de organismos vivos modificados, com informações sobre o processo de produção, transporte e armazenagem.

Para os casos em que não há definição detalhada dos tipos transgênicos contidos na carga, a posição brasileira é a de sugerir o uso da expressão "podem conter", por um período de quatro anos.

A decisão brasileira será apresentada durante a 3ª Reunião das Partes do Protocolo de Cartagena (MOP 3) sobre Biossegurança, que se realiza em Curitiba (PR) até o dia 17. E de acordo com a nota do ministério, tem o objetivo de garantir a coexistência das produções de organismos geneticamente modificados e dos não modificados geneticamente em condições equilibradas.

O Ministério do Meio Ambiente informa ainda que o período de transição foi incluído devido à necessidade de investimentos em logística e certificação do sistema, que garantam a identificação dos organismos geneticamente modificados. De acordo com a nota, "os organismos vivos modificados objeto de movimentos transfronteiriços devem estar aprovados no país exportador e também no país importador".

Brasil quiere palabra ''contiene'' en cargas con transgénicos

El Ministerio del Medio Ambiente divulgó nota informando que el presidente Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva apoyó el lunes (13), en reunión en el Palacio del Planalto, la posición brasileña sobre las reglas para la identificación de cargamentos con organismos vivos modificados para importación y exportación: defiende el uso de la palabra "contiene" en las cargas de organismos vivos modificados, con informaciones sobre el proceso de producción, transporte y almacenaje.

Para los casos en que no hay definición detallada de los tipos transgénicos contenidos en la carga, la posición brasileña es la de sugerir el uso de la expresión "pueden contener", por un periodo de cuatro años.

La decisión brasileña será presentada durante la 3ª Reunión de las Partes del Protocolo de Cartagena (MOP 3) sobre Bioseguridad, que se realiza en Curitiba, Estado de Paraná, Sur de Brasil, hasta el 17. Y de acuerdo con la nota del ministerio, tiene el objetivo de garantizar la coexistencia de las producciones de organismos genéticamente modificados y de los no modificados genéticamente en condiciones equilibradas.

El Ministerio del Medio Ambiente informa aún que el período transitorio fue incluído debido a la necesidad de inversiones en logística y certificación del sistema, que garanticen la identificación de los organismos genéticamente modificados. De acuerdo con la nota, "los organismos vivos modificados objeto de movimientos transfronterizos deben estar aprobados en el país exportador y también en el país importador".

Traducción: Alicia Rachaus

Brazil wants the word "contains" in shipments of transgenic products

Brazilian Ministry of Environment (MMA) issued a note informing that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defined this Monday (13), in a meeting at the Planalto Palace, the Brazilian position on the identification rules for exporting or importing shipments of living modified organisms (LMO): he supports the use of the word "contains", plus information on its production process, transportation, and storage.

In cases of shipments without detailed definition on the types of transgenic products they contain, Brazil suggests the use of the expression "may contain," for a period of four years.

Brazil will present its decision during the 3rd Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol (MOP-3), in Curitiba, capital of the southern state of Paraná. The meeting ends on the 17th. According to MMA’s note, it has the objective to ensure coexistence in equal conditions of the productions of both genetically modified organisms (GMO), and of those not genetically modified.

The MMA says that a transition period was included due to the need of investments in logistics and systems certification. According to the note, LMOs that are internationally transported must have been approved by both the exporter and importer countries.

Translation: Andréa Alves

Labeling of transgenic products can hurt the country, the CNA alleges

Cecília Jorge
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - The proposal to identify transgenic products sold abroad will cause Brazil to lose international competitiveness, according to the National Confederation of Agriculture (CNA). The CNA's vice president of International Affairs, Gilman Viana Rodrigues, calculates that the change will add 10% to the sector's production costs.In the case of soybean exports, for example, producers may end up spending around US$ 1 billion.

The minister of Environment, Marina Silva, announced that Brazil will defend the use of the expresson "it contains," referring to live, genetically modified organisms, as determined in article 18 of the Cartagena Protocol on Biodiversity (MOP-3).

The labelling of shipments of organically modified organisms will have to include information on the processes of production, transportation, and storage. This matter is being discussed in Curitiba by the nations that ratified the Protocol.

In Rodrigues' view, however, the proposal previously approved by the National Technical Commission on Biosecurity (CTNBio) and accepted by the sector was for merchandise to bear the term "it may contain." Rodrigues argues that the advantage is that transgenic grains were transported together with non-transgenic grains, which is a pratice adopted by the majority of exporters. The term also spares each shipment of having to be analyzed separately.

According to Rodrigues, the "it contains" label will add to production costs, to the disavantage of Brazil on the international market. He states that Brazil, which is one of the world's largest exporters of agricultural commodities, alongside the United States, Canada, and Argentina, was the only one to endorse the Protocol.

"The United States, Canada, and Argentina will watch Brazil digging its own grave," he remarked. "Brazil will have to pay the costs of enforcing the rule that it is proposing and that will make trade more expensive. Buyers could care less and will continue to buy transgenic products from Argentina and the United States."

According to the minister's proposal, producers who have not yet separated transgenics from non-transgenics in their shipments will have four years to adjust to the new rule. For those who have already adhered to the rule, the label will be mandatory as soon as the measure takes effect.

Translation: David Silberstein