Brazil's Temer to Allow Largest Import of GMO Corn

Under the pretext that Brazil's stock of corn could drop in 2017, the coup government of Michel Temer approved the largest importation of transgenic seeds from Monsanto and Bunge, despite protests from farmers in the country.

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“The measure will benefit the industries and producers that use corn to feed cattle,” said Secretary of Agribusiness International Relations ​Odilson Ribeiro Silva in a communique justifying the action.

Monsanto's genetically modified corn, authorized for commercial use in Europe and Brazil, has caused controversy over its safety. According to the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology magazine, GM corn is toxic to the liver and kidneys.

The Chamber of Foreign Trade will allow the importation of up to 1 million tons of corn by the end of the year, duty-free.

Monsanto currently has a monopoly on the world transgenic agricultural market and produces 80 percent of world corn and 93 percent of world soy.