Bolivian farmers demand government approve GMO crops

Bolivia Farmer Local Food Production Investment x

Despite the fact that [Biolivia’s] State Constitution (CPE) prohibits the production, importation and commercialization of genetically modified organisms, Bolivia has harvested GMO soy since 2008 and imports at least 11 types of food made from GMO products.

These products come mainly from the United States and Mercosur [a South American trade bloc consisting of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay].

Given these circumstances, small, medium and large producers of Santa Cruz (the largest food-producing region in Bolivia) demand that the central government authorize the use of more GMO products that resist climate change, pests and weeds, such as corn, cotton and sugarcane, arguing that the measure will improve yields and lower production costs.

“We hope to advance in the agreements of the productive agenda established with President Evo Morales in the access to the use of new biotechnological events in soy, corn, cotton and sugarcane, since it is the only way to provide adequate conditions for producers we can invest in expanding the agricultural frontier, ” [Marcelo Pantoja, president of the Association of Oilseed and Wheat Producers (Anapo)] says.

Editor’s note: This article has been translated from Spanish and lightly edited

Read full, original post: Bolivia imports at least 11 types of food derived from transgenics (in Spanish)

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