Argentina approves new Monsanto Bt corn variety

The Ministry of Food and Bioeconomy of the Ministry of Production and Labor approved on Oct. 1 the commercialization of a new genetically modified plant organism (GMO) in Argentina.

After passing all the rigorous evaluations carried out by the National Agricultural Biotechnology Advisory Commission (Conabia), the National Service of Agricultural Health and Quality (Senasa) and the Undersecretary of Agricultural Markets of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Government specifically endorsed a new corn Bt developed by Monsanto, with resistance to insects and herbicides (glyphosate and ammonium glufosinate).

“Authorize the commercialization of the seed, the products and by-products derived from it, coming from the corn events MON-87427-7 x MON-89Ø34-3 x SYN-IR162-4 x MON-ØØ6Ø3-6 (OECD), the combinations intermediate, and all the progeny derived from the crossings of this material with any maize not genetically modified ”, indicates the official resolution .

Evolution

This is the 60th transgenic seed that is approved in Argentine history, since the first RR soybean (glyphosate tolerant), which was authorized in 1996, according to Conabia records.

A relevant fact is that the pace of approval of LMOs was enhanced during the administration of Mauricio Macri: in four years, 24 transgenic developments were endorsed, almost half of all those authorized in the last 23 years.

Editor's note: This article was originally published in Spanish. This English summary has been prepared with Google Translate and edited for clarity.