Ecobreves – CHILE: Ecologists vs. Monsanto Soy

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SANTIAGO, Apr 7 2007 (IPS) - The Transgenic-Free Chile Network opposes a project of the agribusiness transnational Monsanto to plant 5,000 hectares of genetically modified soybeans beginning in October 2007, and increasing to 20,000 hectares in 2010. In Chile it is only legal to produce genetically modified (GM) seeds for export. There are currently 13,000 hectares of GM seed planted, 300 with soy.

“We met with Agriculture Minister Alvaro Rojas, to tell him it is a threat to Chile's export products and organic farming. We need a biosecurity law and ensure the application of environmental impact studies to initiatives for seed production,” Network spokeswoman María Isabel Manzur told Tierramérica.

According to Manzur, Rojas pledged to create an interdisciplinary panel to discuss biotechnology and to advance the environmental impact studies.