Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
approved in March 2005. The new law provides that risk assessment
for research (field trials) be done by CTNBio, and that risk assessment
for commercial releases continues to be a CTNBio responsibility. It also
mandates inspection of GM crops by the Departments of Health, Agri-
culture, and Environment.
18
Finally, it allowed the planting and use of
Monsanto's GM soya for another year without the need for environmen-
tal and health impact assessments.
19
C.TheImportanceofEconomicInterestsintheNewBiosafetyLaw
Examining closely the new Biosafety statute in effect today, one can
understand the delicate relationship between the parties that are ben-
efited and those that are not. Because Brazil's economy has a strong
exporting component, the likely winners include the industrial-scale
farmers that grow, harvest, and export GM crops such as GM soybeans
to other countries, and the biotechnology companies, such as Monsanto
and DuPont, who develop and sell GM crop seed. The benefits to these
two business sectors are enhanced by growing consumer acceptance
of GM crops and foods in importing nations, with the exception of
EU nations.
20
From a national perspective, the economic benefits that accrue to
Brazil from adopting GM crops are already apparent and likely to
become more substantial. EU restrictions on imports fromGM-adopting
countries have been a major concern, but these are likely to be mitigated
in the aftermath of the World Trade Organization ruling that the EU
had violated its trade treaty obligations by creating a de facto morato-
rium against GM crops.
18
Article 16 of Statute n. 11105/2005.
19
Article 34 of Statute n. 11105/2005.
20
“Governments as well as consumers must accept GM crop technology if a Gene Revo-
lution is to occur. Otherwise, there is serious doubt about how far the GM crop move-
ment can spread worldwide.” (Felica Wu, and William P. Butz,
The Future of Geneti-
cally Modified Crops: Lessons from the Green Revolution
(Santa Monica, CA: Rand,
2004) at 64.
