Brazil Ends Ban on Genetically-Altered Crops
5/19/99
*******************************
RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Brazil Ends Ban on Genetically-Altered Crops
Source: Reuters Limited
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: May 19, 1999
Byline: Phil Stewart
SAO PAULO - Brazil turned over its farmland to the advance of modern
science by allowing the local arm of U.S. biotechnology giant
Monsanto Co. to sell genetically modified soybeans seeds nationwide.
The long-awaited announcement ends Brazil's historic ban on
genetically modified crops, which are engineered using genes offering
traits like resistance to drought or potent weed-killers.
But the move also deals a severe blow to many farmers worried about
losing business to transgenic-weary customers in Europe, who are
boycotting what they call "Frankenstein foods."
According to the Agriculture Ministry, St. Louis-based Monsanto is
free to begin immediately selling seeds for five varieties of its
herbicide-resistant Roundup Ready seeds in Brazil, the world's
second-largest soybean producer. The United States ranks No. 1.
But ministry officials declined to offer specifics on the agreement,
adding only that Roundup Ready would be protected until July 5 under
Brazil's provisional intellectual property right law while paperwork
for permanent protection is filed.
"There is nothing else to say now. It has been approved. Monsanto can
begin selling Roundup Ready seeds. That's all," said ministry
spokesman Tito Matos de Souza.
Monsanto, for its part, said it would not comment on the announcement
under it was given "final approval language."
"We have not received confirmation," Monsanto said. "Prior to final
approval language from Brazil, we cannot speculate on any specific
commercial aspects of this product."
The widespread caution owes to continued controversy over genetically
modified crops in Brazil, Latin America's agricultural titan and the
the world's top producer of coffee, sugar and oranges.
It took Monsanto eight months to get its Roundup Ready soybeans
cleared for commercialization even after the crop was declared "safe"
by the government last year by the Commission for Biological Security
(CTNBio).
Environmental groups led by Greenpeace stalled Monsanto in court
while the left-wing government of Rio Grande do Sul state threatened
to torch test plots and is waging a battle in the state Legislature
to declare itself "transgenic free."
Top producing Parana and Mato Grosso states are working on ways to
certify select farming cooperatives free from genetically modified
crops.
Monsanto executives said in earlier interviews they expect Roundup
Ready soybeans will make their way off test plots and onto commercial
farms later this year. They will cover half of the 13 million
hectares annually dedicated to the crop within just three years, they
estimated.
Brazil currently has no law governing labeling of transgenics crops,
or food products made using them. CNTBio has opposed labeling, while
Souza quoted Agricultural Secretary Francisco Turra as saying he was
in favour of the practice.
Other multinationals are soon seen winning safety approval for their
transgenic crops, such as LibertyLink corn produced by the
agrochemical joint venture between Germany's Hoechst AG and Schering
AG .
Greenpeace said on Monday it would not back down on Roundup Ready,
despite the Agriculture Ministry's announcement. Group leaders said
they would ask Monsanto to delay planting until it performs a
detailed environmental impact analysis.
"We are going to present a request in court on Tuesday for an
environmental assessment ... But we do not know how long that would
delay (planting)," a local Greenpeace official said.
On Monday, Monsanto stock fell $1.125 to $46.75 in composite New York
Stock Exchange trading.