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The European Commission (EC) recently approved the use of a new genetically modified soybean variety for human and animal consumption. This news, it seems, passed without much public comment and in the shadow of the new wave of spread of the pandemic in the countries of Europe.
As reported by “Euractive”, the EC decision does not yet allow the cultivation of this variety of transgenic soybeans, but other large world producers will have a production opportunity and a greater placement in the European market.
The producer of the new GM soybean variety is the German company “Bayer”, which three years ago bought the US GM seed producer “Monsanto” for 66 billion dollars. The statement states that, after a scientific evaluation, it was approved by the European Food Safety Agency. Production is expected to begin in 2021 in the United States and Canada. The new variety is reported to be resistant to the herbicides dicamba, glufosinate ammonium, and glyphosate.
Following this decision, as noted, it is logical to expect that US and Canadian producers, due to the greater availability of the European market, will increase soy production in the following period. The EU approval will be valid for 10 years, and all products of this transgenic variety must be properly labeled, respecting the principle of traceability.
Dr. Miodrag Dimitrijevic, a geneticist and professor at the Novi Sad Faculty of Agriculture, says that this decision is not surprising and that the procedure on this issue started eight years ago. In his opinion, everything was done in accordance with the regulations, which are very complex. He added that care was taken to leave room for member states to act in accordance with their special interests, but within the general EU framework established by the European Commission.
– This also applies to this approval, which is not binding on EU member states, but is a recommendation. After 10 years, a new evaluation of this GM phenomenon follows, and according to the evaluation of the impact on the environment, people and animals, market conditions, social situation, a new decision is made again – explains our interlocutor. As he says, this is GM soy, where the genetically modified parents are combined in a classic cross, so it is not directly modified, but the modified parents are crossed. He believes that the European Commission has found an interest, which does not have to be only economic, to allow the use of this soy in processed products used by humans and for animal feed. That, he points out, is likely a consequence of the “Bayer” and “Monsanto” merger. At the same time, the cultivation ban was maintained and soy will be grown where it is allowed, including America, while Europeans must decide, when marking such foods, whether to use it.
– I would say that this news does not concern us much, because Serbia is not a member of the European Union and has its own laws related to GMOs, according to which it will act, like any sovereign state – says Professor Dimitrijevic. For him and the professional public, this news is nothing new or something that has not already happened in the EU. The rest of the world, he adds, has its own rules, and we ours, which does not mean that we should not follow the situation, be careful and be scientifically and educationally prepared to approach the products of transgenic technology in a professional and responsible way. Dimitrijevic says that the use of transgenic plants for human consumption has been allowed in the EU so far, and there are about 60 on the list, and among them, in addition to corn and soybeans, are sugar and rapeseed …
However, not everyone in the EU enthusiastically welcomed the news of this decision, reports “Euractive”. Thus, the member of the Green European Parliament, Tili Metz, stated that the decision to approve the import of GMOs was “extremely disappointing”. As he said, importing herbicide-tolerant GMOs, especially transgenic soy that can be grown in countries such as Brazil and Argentina, runs the risk of undermining the EU’s international obligations on climate, including protecting forests and biodiversity. The international movement for organic production IFOAM says that soybeans are approved for use in food and feed, and not for cultivation in the EU, so contamination with pesticides during production is not a direct threat to organic agriculture. in the EU. However, they share the concern that importation of this crop into the EU market could lead to increased use of pesticides outside the EU and those that have a proven negative impact on the environment and biodiversity.
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