Monsanto withdraws application for approval of GM soya in Brazil

The step comes after massive protests by environmental and consumers organisations as well as scientists and lawmakers in Brazil. Brazil is the world’s second biggest exporter of soya beans. Soya beans are used in 60 per cent of processed supermarket food products including bread, pasta, yoghurt, chocolate and ice-cream.

Monsanto’s withdrawal of applications for seed approvals of genetically engineered “Roundup Ready” soya beans in Brazil follows vigorous protests of environmental and consumer groups as well as scepticism and discussions within the Brazilian Government. Last week IBAMA, the Brazilian environmental state agency formally joined a lawsuit of Greenpeace Brazil against the approval of Monsanto’s GM soya beans.
Also the Governor of Brazil’s major soya bean growing state, Rio Grande del Sul, declared that his state will stay a “GM-free zone”. Finally the Brazilian public agencies for consumer protection (Procons) demanded a moratorium on GM products at their annual meeting in Brasilia, on the 11th and 12th of March.