For the first time in 20 years, the Argentine government will allow citizens to voice their opinion on its plan to allow the introduction of new genetically modified (GM) seeds into the country.
The first GM crop under citizens’ supervision, a kind of soy, is supplied by the Argentine affiliate of the multinational Monsanto agrochemical and agricultural biotech corporation, and is resistant to dicamba and glyphosate.
In its report on the second phase of evaluation, Conabia — a national advisory commission on agricultural biotechnology that works under the auspices of the Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery Ministry — stated the risks of that particular genetically modified soy to the agricultural ecosystem, in large-scale crops, do not differ significantly from those inherent in crops of non-GMO soybeans.
However, environmental organizations do not agree with that evaluation and warn about the toxic effects of using both herbicides, about which the World Health Organization reported last March that glyphosate could “possibly” be a cause of cancer.
According to Martin Lema, Conabia head of biotechnology, citizens can send their opinions about the new GMO by email or present them in person to the Agriculture Ministry until Sept. 30, 2016.
At that time, experts will judge whether it’s worth Conabia reviewing the report.
The decision to accept comments on products of this kind has already been applied in places like the United States, the European Union and Uruguay, and forms part of the “democratization” of the Agriculture Ministry, Lema says, noting that Argentina has approved 30 different genetically modified food crops.
Source: Fox News.
