Chile has a surprising export crop: seeds. It is currently the fifth largest seed producer worldwide, and the first in the production of genetically modified (GM) seeds in the southern hemisphere.
Though it’s a top GM seed exporter, Chile still doesn’t allow its own farmers to use the technology.
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Moreover, Chile imports GM food or ingredients for the food industry that are allowed without restrictions or labeling, and it has approved the use of GM corn and GM soy for animal feed….
Are you noticing the contradiction? The Chilean framework allows everything with GMOs, —except it prohibits its own farmers from using these crops in commercial production in the national market. This causes Chilean farmers to be less competitive with their colleagues in the region….
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The government has invested considerable resources to fund research and development on GM crops, but the lack of clarity in the current regulatory situation precludes the use of such research to develop new GM products for Chilean farmers….
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I hope that … the policy makers will … allow Chile to embrace a tool that will allow it to have better food security in a century that will be seriously affected by climate change.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Chile’s biosafety law: 10 years of stagnation
