GMO Food for Thought

Agbioworld
Editorial, Estado De São Paulo (Brazil)
February 6, 2007

Excerpt...

In case the National Technical Commission on Biosafety (CTNBio) does not approve the corn and cotton varieties, which proceedings are stopped, farmers may refrain from profiting up to US$ 9 billion in the next ten years. This alert was made today, on the first day of the 'Show Rural' Coopavel, by the Council for Biotechnology Information (CIB), in a reported developed by Céleres Consultoria.

In the analysis of Anderson Galvão, director of Céleres, corn producers may fail to gain US$ 6.9 billion in the next decade, in case the insect and herbicide resistant varieties are not released by the government for commercial planting. In the case of cotton, the income waiver might reach US$ 2.1 billion. "These figures are a lot more representative than those of soybeans, as the area planted with corn is virtually half of the soybean area. Whereas, for cotton, the area cultivated is of little more than 1 million hectares, which makes transforms these US$ 2.1 billion into very high saving if taking into account the hectares planted", he explains.

For both crops, profits from the adoption of biotechnology, according to the study, would derive from the higher yield and the reduced expenses with herbicides and insecticides. "...the benefits are concentrated in the hands of farmers and of the companies that own the technology, but it has already been observed that they have already been shared among the whole chain and they will certainly reach final consumers", states Galvão.

The preliminary data of the report presented today already indicate that a kilo of chicken bred with transgenic soybeans feed could be sold to consumers for a cost 3.3% lower than the chicken raised with conventional feed. In the case of milk, savings represent 3.4% and for pork savings may reach 4%. "From the moment the companies perceive the necessary political security, new technologies will be introduced in the Country and final consumers.