ENVIRONMENT-CHILE:
Time for Straight Talk about Transgenics?
Daniela Estrada

SANTIAGO,  (IPS) - In Chile, transgenic seeds may only be planted to produce crops for export. However, imported transgenic foods can be eaten here.

Both those in favour of and against transgenics, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), agree on the need to regulate an area described as "confusing," "contradictory" and "inconsistent."

Environmental organisations have been on red alert since a bill was introduced in Congress to promote cultivation of GMOs in order to develop the biofuels industry.

Cultivation of GMOs is presently only allowed for export purposes, not local consumption. Just under 13,000 hectares were planted in transgenic seeds in 2005. Of that total, 94 percent corresponded to maize, nearly five percent to oilseed rape, and just over one percent to soybeans.

Although it has not been conclusively proved that GMOs are harmless to human health and the environment, Chileans eat foodstuffs containing them every day, in the shape of vegetable oils and margarine, hamburgers, sausages and cereals, as there are no restrictions on imports of transgenic foods and ingredients for human consumption.

"Most Chilean poultry are fed on transgenic maize imported from Argentina. Therefore, if these chickens were analysed, they would all be found to be carrying GMOs of one kind or another," Alberto Espina, a congressman for the rightwing National Renewal (RN) party, told IPS.

Espina, a senator for the southern Araucanía region, drafted a bill on biosafety and GMOs that was introduced in Congress on Nov. 15.

In his view, deregulating the use of transgenic organisms will improve agricultural yields, increase employment and bolster the biofuels industry, as it will enable more profitable crops to be grown for making biodiesel and ethanol.

Biological fuels are a cleaner alternative that could partially replace fossil fuels, like oil, gas and coal, which are not only the main culprits in the production of greenhouse gases but are also non-renewable sources of energy.

"The draft law was specifically designed with biofuels in mind, so the question is: Will biofuels solve Chile's critical energy shortage? If the answer is Yes, then: Must the plant species grown for biofuel production necessarily be transgenic?" Flavia Liberona, of the local non-governmental environmental group Ecosistemas, remarked to IPS.

"Recently a commission was formed within the Ministry of Agriculture to study the feasibility of developing biofuels, but it has not reported any results yet," said the environmentalist, who argued that Espina's draft law was premature, as there are still too many unknowns and imponderables clouding the issue.

María Isabel Manzur, with the Sustainable Societies Foundation (Fundación Sociedades Sustentables), said the draft law was biased in favour of high-tech "big business", because it would only benefit "transgenic seed producers."

Senator Espina denied that agribusiness or biotech corporations had anything to do with drawing up the bill.

"I'm only defending poor people, the small farmers in Araucanía. I am inviting environmental organisations to visit (the villages of ) Lumaco, or Traiguén, to see the poverty there," he said.

"Let's not get hypocritical about this," said Espina, who argued that the current situation only harms Chilean farmers, because the law does not permit them to sell transgenic products on the domestic market, yet allows such products to be imported from abroad.

Manzur told IPS that the environmental, consumer and organic farmers' organisations making up the Network for a Transgenic-Free Chile are demanding ratification of the Cartagena Protocol on the Prevention of Biotechnology Risks; labelling of genetically modified products; and the creation of GMO-free zones. They are also asking that companies producing transgenic seeds be required to submit environmental impact studies. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was signed by Chile in 2002 but has not been ratified by Congress, and the draft law submitted by Espina does not even mention it.

The main danger posed by the expansion of the use of transgenic seeds, environmentalists say, is the possibility that conventional crops and native Chilean plant species will be contaminated by the genetic variants. As an example, they mentioned the potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) that grow on the Chiloé Islands off the southern coast of Chile.

Opponents of GMOs fear that wind pollination will spread the transgenic organisms' modified genes to conventional crops, which could alter existing species and reduce biodiversity. Genetic engineering enthusiasts, on the other hand, argue that the spread of GMOs can be controlled, and that this technology can increase the quantity and quality of food production and contribute to the fight against world hunger.

Another factor in the debate is that transnational corporations have patented some GMOs, giving them exclusive control over their sales price, terms of use and profits.

A survey by the Ipsos polling company in March 2005, commissioned by the Chilean branch of Greenpeace, found that most Chileans stated they would prefer to consume products that were free of GMOs. More than 90 percent of the respondents also said they wanted obligatory labelling for foods containing GMOs.

Environmental and other civil society organisations have symbolically declared the Tarapacá region in the extreme north, the Araucanía region in the south, and the Chiloé Islands to be "transgenic-free zones."

Espina said that "everything should be discussed," and that he was more than willing to listen to all the sectors involved.

Juan Carlos Sepúlveda, head of the Chilean Fruit Growers' Federation (FEDEFRUTA), told IPS that "to this day we have not supported growing GMOs because it could create difficulties with our export markets." Chile exports fruit to some 70 countries.

Nevertheless, FEDEFRUTA, an umbrella federation for over 1,000 growers and 20 associations, "is funding biotech research aimed at solving some of our problems with fungi, viruses and pests."

Transgenics are bacteria, plants or animals created in the laboratory by inserting genes from other species, using genetic engineering techniques. Plant GMOs are constructed with the aim of improving certain desirable qualities (yield, size, colour), or making them more resistant to drought, extreme temperatures, pests or diseases.

"We'll have to review our position on transgenics, to see whether they are more likely to help or hinder us. But we can't afford to be left behind by scientific progress," Sepúlveda said.

He acknowledged, however, that one of Chile's major competitive advantages was its status as a "phytosanitary island", isolated as it is from exotic species and pests by the natural barriers provided by the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, the Andes to the east and the Atacama desert to the north. This means that the country's food products are widely recognised as being healthful and of high quality.

At least the draft law on biosafety imposes restrictions on the use of GMOs in areas of genetic diversity and in protected areas, and includes rules for public information and participation by civil society. The bill was co-sponsored by four additional senators, two of whom belong to the centre-left coalition that has governed Chile since 1990.

During the election campaign in November 2005, President Michelle Bachelet promised environmentalists that she would not throw the country open to transgenic crops, and would require environmental impact studies for projects involving GMOs that were already underway.

"We hope that President Bachelet will fulfil her promise," said Liberona, although she said she was somewhat sceptical after reviewing the administration's record for its first nine months.

"Ecosistemas believes that this is not a government for the people. It's a government that hasn't the slightest interest in environmental issues. In fact, we think that this has been the worst-ever government on the environment. There is a lack of clear direction, and it has taken steps backward," Liberona said.

For his part, Espina said "I'm convinced we're doing a good job. I believe the draft law will be approved by the Senate." Meanwhile, environmentalists announced they would form a united front to fight against passage of the law in Congress.