Rio de janeiro, Brazil
May 23, 2007
Marina Ramalho,
SciDev.Net
The Brazilian technical commission on biosecurity approved the
genetically modified corn seed 'LibertyLink' last week (16 May).
LibertyLink corn is produced by German company Bayer CropScience
and is tolerant to glufosinate ammonium pesticide, used to kill
harmful grasses. Bayer first requested the licence in 1998.
17 members of the biosecurity commission ― scientists,
government and public representatives who gives technical advice
to the government on biosecurity issues ― voted for the corn
authorisation and 4 voted against it.
A legislation change, sanctioned in March by the president Luiz
Inácio Lula da Silva, reduced the number of votes the commission
needs to sanction approvals from the original 18 votes to 14.
Without this move, Bayer would not have won approval for
LibertyLink.
The commercial approval was granted on the condition that the
government monitors the amount of glufosinate ammonium used per
hectare, as well as the pesticide's impact on soil
microorganisms.
The commission will also establish rules for how transgenic and
non-transgenic corn can coexist.
The higher level National Council on Biosecurity, made up of 11
ministers, still needs to ratify the decision and has 90 days to
announce a decision.
Environmental institutions criticised the decision. In a press
release (16 May), Greenpeace said Brazil is one of the world's
centres of corn genetic diversity and large-scale contamination
would cause "uncalculated" economical damage to farmers and to
the country.
They accused the biosafety commission of dismissing safety
concerns raised by the public, and of not being transparent when
evaluating companies' requests for licences.
André Abreu, Bayer technology manager in Brazil, told SciDev.Net
that the company has carried out local and international studies
on farming LibertyLink corn, which show that it is safe in terms
of human and environmental health.
Eleven other requests for GM seeds authorisation are currently
awaiting the biosecurity commission's approval.
LibertyLink corn is the third genetically modified (GM) seed
whose plantation and commercialisation is allowed in Brazil.
Monsanto's 'Roundup Ready' soybean and Bollgard cotton ― a GM
cotton variant resistant to insects ― were approved in 2004 and
2005 respectively.
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