Agriculture & Food

Core reminder: Foreign media news on November 14: Brazil has become the first country in the world to allow the import of genetically modified wheat flour. However, facing opposition from Brazilian flour mills and global consumers, Argentina is unlikely to export soon.

u3000u3000 As the price of wheat rises, coupled with increasing concerns that bad weather may threaten food security, genetically modified wheat is triggering a wider global discussion. Although genetically modified soybeans and corn have been accepted globally for a long time, these genetically modified crops are mainly used for raising livestock rather than human consumption.

u3000u3000 The Brazilian biosafety agency CTNBio stated that the decision to approve imports this time only applies to wheat flour. Brazilian flour mills have threatened to boycott Argentine genetically modified wheat and said they will seek legal recourse to reverse this decision.

u3000u3000 Gustavo Idigolas, president of the Argentine Cereal Exporters Association (CIARA-CEC), said that the decision was made by a technical agency, but it is important to understand the needs of the Brazilian market. It seems that Brazilian consumers do not want Argentine genetically modified wheat. The Brazilian Flour Processing Association (Abitrigo) said it will request the President’s Office to convene the National Biosafety Committee to review the decision. The organization has previously threatened that if Brazil approves the import of this genetically modified drought-resistant wheat, it will stop buying Argentine wheat and switch to other countries for supply. StoneX chief commodity economist Arlan Sudeman said that if Brazil refuses to buy because of fear of strong consumer opposition, it may lead to a surge in demand for US wheat. In the final analysis, it depends on the consumer and what consumers are willing to accept.

u3000u3000 At present, only a small part of Argentine farms are experimenting with genetically modified wheat that can tolerate drought and tolerate the common herbicide glufosinate. The developer of this wheat is Bioceres. Sources in the company said it will seek approval from other major markets before seeking commercial sales of genetically modified wheat. The information disclosed by the company shows that Argentina has experimented with planting about 55,000 hectares of genetically modified wheat.

u3000u3000Argentine grain exporters have asked the government to determine which farmers are growing genetically modified wheat in order to stop buying from these areas. Santiagodel Solar grows genetically modified wheat in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He said that the final decision is in the hands of Brazilian flour mills and consumers. Regulatory agencies agree that it is good, but ultimately it is to sell wheat to flour mills and consumers. If they do not accept it, there are still big problems.

u3000u3000As of October 19 this year, Argentina had exported 8.424 million tons of wheat, of which about 50% was exported to Brazil, and Brazil relied on its southern neighbors for most of its wheat imports.

u3000u3000 Argentina farmer Francisco Santilan who grows wheat in the province of Buenos Aires said that he will wait for other countries to approve the import of wheat varieties before starting to plant genetically modified wheat. No matter how much Brazil accepts, it is reasonable to wait a year to see how other countries that import wheat from Argentina react.

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