-Caveat Lector- > P A N U P S > Pesticide Action Network Updates Service > =========================================== > > Argentina: Industrialized Agriculture and GE > > February 12, 2001 > > Herbicide tolerant genetically engineered (GE) soy has been widely > adopted > by farmers in Argentina as part of a shift towards a more > input-intensive, > industrialized system of agriculture. Although there may be some > short-term > advantages, farmers' earnings could drop if GE soy is rejected by > importing > countries. In addition, farmers in Argentina may find that economic > and > ecological impacts associated with GE crops and export-oriented > agricultural > create serious problems in the long term. > > Argentina accounts for 21% of the total global acreage of GE crops, > second > only to the United States. The country produces 10% of the world's > soybeans > and is the largest exporter of crushed soybean and oil (31% and 36% > respectively). The crop and its derivatives account for one fifth of > Argentina's export earnings. In 1999, 64% of its crushed soybeans > were > exported to the European Union. > > Approximately 800,000 hectares of Roundup Ready soy were grown in > Argentina > in 1996. By the 1999/2000 season, more than 80% of the total soybean > acreage > or 6.6 million hectares had been converted to Roundup Ready. The > conversion > to GE could adversely affect soy exports because more and more major > European companies are making the move to non-GE ingredients. > > Loss of export markets is not the only danger facing Argentine > farmers. > Since 1991, increased industrialization of the agricultural sector, > including adoption of GE soy, has had a number of negative impacts. > > * Increasing role of transnational companies in the agricultural > sector: > Industrialization of grain and soybean production has boosted > dependence on > foreign agricultural inputs. Removal of import tariffs led to the > bankruptcy > of domestic farm machinery manufacturers. The commercial seed sector > has > become increasingly controlled by subsidiaries of transnational > corporations. > > * Declining profit margins: Prices for soybean declined 28% between > 1993 and > 1999, while prices for gasoline, a vital component of industrialized > agriculture, have risen by 26%. Farmers' profit margins fell by half > between > 1992 and 1999, making it difficult for many to pay off bank loans for > machinery, chemical inputs and seeds. > > * Concentration of holdings: Between 1992 and 1997, the number of > producers > in the soybean-growing region of Argentina dropped from 170,000 to > 116,000--a 32% decrease--while the average size of a farm increased > from 243 > to 357 hectares. In this same region, at least 50% of the acreage is > managed > by third parties. > > These dramatic changes in Argentina's agricultural system have their > roots > in the economic conditions and government policies of the 1980s. In > the > past, farmers alternated cultivation of grains with cattle pasture in > the > highly fertile region of Argentina where soybeans are now grown. In > the > early 1980s, grain and oilseed prices increased while the market for > cattle > declined. These market conditions, combined with government policies > including the government's abolition of export levies on agricultural > products, set the stage for agriculture in Argentina to become > increasingly > export orientated. > > Growing oilseed for export created more demand for imports of > machinery, > pesticides and fertilizers. In a short time, the lack of crop > rotation > resulted in declining soil fertility and a related increase in > fertilizer > use--from 0.3 million tons in 1990 to 2.5 million tons in 1999. To > combat > increased soil erosion, "no till" sowing methods were widely > introduced, > leading to an increase in herbicide use. > > The rapid adoption of Monsanto's Roundup Ready soybean (genetically > engineered to be resistant to glyphosate) was the next step in the > industrialization of Argentina's agriculture, resulting in even wider > use of > glyphosate (Monsanto's brand Roundup). Glyphosate is not protected by > patent > in Argentina. As demand has increased, prices plummeted, making it > more > attractive than any other herbicide for weed control. Between 1991 > and 1999, > glyphosate use skyrocketed--increasing from 1,000 to 58,000 cubic > meters > annually. However, dependence on one herbicide, even glyphosate, > increases > the likelihood of herbicide-tolerant weeds. Glyphosate resistance has > been > reported for weeds such as ryegrass under similar conditions in > Australia. > While this problem has been acknowledged by the government, measures > to > detect and isolate such weeds have not yet been implemented. > > Argentina's present export-oriented commodity production system is > likely to > drive more small farmers out of business and adversely affect the > environment. Diversification that would include growing a variety of > crops > for export and domestic uses would enhance food security and > environmental > sustainability. However, this would require a drastic change in > Argentine > agricultural policy, including subsidies for small farmers. > > Source: "Herbicide Tolerant Soybean: Just another step in a > technology > treadmill?" by Volker Lehmann and Walter Pengue, Biotechnology and > Development Monitor. September 2000. > > Contact: Walter Pengue, Centro de Estudio Avanzados, Universidad de > Buenos > Aires J.E. Uriburu 950, 1 piso, 1114 Buenos Aires, Argentina; email > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > PANUPS is a weekly email news service providing resource guides and > reporting on pesticide issues that don't always get coverage by the > mainstream media. It's produced by Pesticide Action Network North > America, a > non-profit and non-governmental organization working to advance > sustainable > alternatives to pesticides worldwide. > > You can join our efforts! We gladly accept donations for our work and > all > contributions are tax deductible in the United States. Visit our > extensive > web site at http://www.panna.org to learn more about getting > involved. > > =========================================== > NOTE: Replies to the sender of this message > will not be read. > > To comment, send a message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To subscribe, send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To unsubscribe, send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) > 49 Powell St., Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94102 USA > Phone: (415) 981-1771 > Fax: (415) 981-1991 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Web: http://www.panna.org __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! 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