20 years of transgenics in Brazil: reflections for Lula government 3

Abstract

About 90% of the soy and corn planted area in Brazil is occupied by transgenic crops. The release of these crops was marked by legal disputes, conflicts and uncertainties. The study aims to present for analysis the approvals made by the National Technical Biosafety Commission for the commercialization of transgenic corn and soy seeds in Brazil until December 2022, and to elaborate some reflections that can be considered by the incoming government, in light of the application of the principle of precaution and the duties of the State to guarantee sovereignty and food security. A descriptive study, with a quantitative approach, was carried out using bibliographical and documentary research procedures, based on secondary data sources, obtained from publicly accessible portals. The results show that: the release of transgenics in Brazil continues to be questioned in court; only two companies hold the patent for 38 of the 74 authorized soy and corn events; the crops, mostly, have the characteristics of tolerance to herbicides and resistance to insects; there was no respect for the precautionary principle; sovereignty and food security are threatened, either by the monopoly of seeds or by conflicts between the food security law and releases based on substantial equivalence. For the Lula 3 government to defend the right to adequate food, it is urgent to initiate an agroecological transition