Polarization impedes regulation of GMOs in Chile

Considered one of the most free economies in South America, Chile has lost space in the global farming industry due to delays in adopting regulations on the use of biotechnology. Neighboring countries such as Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay have embraced transgenic technology on a massive scale and are already seeing results with increases in production and market share.

This legal vacuum in Chile has created an unusual situation: The country allows the production of genetically modified seeds but only for academic research and exports. These seeds cannot be released to the domestic market. However, the Chileans know that tons of foreign-made food containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are entering the country.

Miguel Ángel Sánchez, executive-director of ChileBio, an association of sowing industries, indicated that this is a profitable business: “Chile plays a key role in off-season seed production.” The country is the largest producer of off-season seeds in the Southern Hemisphere. Sánchez noted that, despite its important position, the country still lags behind other Latin America countries, such as Mexico and Argentina, which are already using biotechnology.

“We have tried to write a specific law, but the advances were filed. Since Frei [Eduardo Frei, former president from 1994 to 2000], no government has decided to face it,” stated Ricardo Pertuzé, a scholar at the Department of Agricultural Production at the University of Chile.

Chileans, like people all over the world, have experimented with polarized debate. The representatives of Greenpeace and its supporters maintain radical positions against GMOs in this country too. On the other side, the scientific community, the researchers, and even agencies guarantee that GMO crops are safe for consumption.

Gonzalo Pardo, in charge of the Department of Authorization and Control of GMOs at the Service of Agriculture and Livestock, pointed out that for every transgenic event authorized, biosecurity requirements and measures were established to avoid affecting other crops.

Loreto Holuigue, researcher at the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology of the Catholic University of Chile, stated that the polarization in the country had defeated the scientific stance of those who oppose GMOs because there are no precedents for toxicity in transgenic plants. In contrast, it had strengthened the seed and agchem companies because they have dominated a market where there are no alternatives.

"A useful technology was discredited and could have been used for the benefit of the population. The current legislation does not favor the country's scientific development,” Holuigue said.