Brazil Biosafety Commission Approves Biotech Maize
May 18, 2007| |
The National Biosafety Technical Commission of Brazil (CTNBio) gave this week the green light, 17 votes against 4, to LibertyLink, a maize biotech variety with tolerance to herbicide (glufosinate) developed by Bayer. The decision has still to be ratified by the National Committee of Biotechnology before commercial planting can take place. The Committee, presided by the Minister Dilma Rousseff, is composed by 17 members of the federal government, and deals with biotechnology policy issues.
“Transgenic maize brings economic profits diminishing the costs of production”, said Paulo Barroso, researcher from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA). Barroso also affirmed that the environmental impact in terms of herbicide use of LibertyLink maize is not superior to that of planting conventional varieties, which also require the application of herbicides for weed control.
CTNBio will implement a practical plan for monitoring biotech maize, which will include restrictions to prevent its planting in protected areas. The decision makes LibertyLink maize the third biotech crop to be approved in Brazil, after Roundup Ready soybean (also with herbicide tolerance) and insect-resistant cotton.
More information available (in Portuguese) in http://www.agenciabrasil.gov.br/noticias/2007/05/16/materia.2007-05-16.0609499640/view and http://www.agenciabrasil.gov.br/noticias/2007/05/16/materia.2007-05-16.8930598527/view
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