What must we ask about transgenics?

Some tried to teach through fear with a stick while others used it for measure distances.

 

By Fidel Torres Guevara

 

A genetically modified organism (GMO)can be defined as an alive organism (vegetal or animal) which genetic matter (DNA)has been altered artificially granting it a determined characteristic or property that it does not have naturally. Transgenics are included in this definition, but not all GMO are transgenics.

 

A GMO can be an organism modified by the reorganization of its genswith others of the same kind through crossing, like gotten since different kinds of corn to have a better-adapted hybrid. But the transgenic GMO is modified by the integration of gens from other species, like the insertion of another species’ gen into corn for generating resistance to a type of herbicide.

 

A hybrid corn coming from crossing among two or more kinds of corn  is a GMO, the BT-corn is one that was modified to protect it against insects by transferring it a gen coming from a bacterium for the corn itself generates a toxic protein to these insects – this is a transgenic GMO.

 

What would the discussion be about?

In the atmosphere of Peruvian opinion, the affirmative or negative answer about the integration of GMO into the national agrarian productive activity is on debate. The frequent question is – are they good or bad? Will they benefit or harm us?

 

It may seem that the most answers are assumed or already answered prior questions, that continue pendant, however, especially questions asked by the direct agents of the agrarian work (scientists, tehcnicians, public and private research entities, development organizations, universities, agrarian and growers organizations, farmer communities).

 

• Is there a consensus among those agents about the game rules established for Peruvian science, agrarian technology & innovation?
• Is it the policy of scientific, technological, and innovation development in Peru established?
• In a scenario which on-building programmes and policies about agrarian science & innovation began in 2001 were just cancelled in 2010, what Peruvian scientific and innovative process will integrate this technology to?
• Is it about to integrate the transgenic GMO technology in Peru?
• Is it about to be clients of transgenic GMO seeds?
• Consumers of gifted transgenic GMO’s?
• To be source of variability for the creation of new transgenic GMO’s?
• What component of the national science and innovation agenda is integrated the transgenic GMO technology into, considering the that the science, technology, and innovation are not an agenda item in the policy of the Peruvian State?
• Is it about to be cheap spaces to grow transgenic GMO’s?
• To Peru, as candidate to the world leadership of the eating art (!), and already a leader in child malnutrition, are they going to gift the transgenic GMO seeds or will they give the transgenic GMO corn to be eaten?
• Will the GMO’s a development strategy of the Peruvian private science or Peruvian public science, considering both are in severe precariousness state, lack of promotion policies?
• What’s the orientation to decide for integrating those artifacts into the national agrarian politics?
• Has been the risk analyses made for integrating this technology into a vulnerable scenario to it, as the diversity is?Vulnerability mainly hosted in the extreme fragility Peru has shown about surveillance and control systems of the rules for the companies to accomplish, that has notorious examples in the extractive industries?

 

The glass what we see with

A citizen without resources to eat and a transgenic product is cheaper, it’s logical to agree with it. But if you are a little corn grower who bought national seeds what you can multiply decreasing your costs in the next season, facing the obligation to buy transgenic seed of similar performance, you are forced to buy a new one and to the same company every season, or if you don’t buy them, the plagues not affecting them move to your national corn cropfields with the warning to be filed if your corn mixes with its based upon the fact to be on its technology’s way, then it’s logical you are against transgenics.

 

In 2006, the Vista Florida Experimental Station in Lambayeque produced the hybrid Triple-INIA 609 Naylamp [1]with a commercial performance of 9.6 tons per hectare, that triplied of the local species, similar or better than transgenics possible to introduce to save the growers. However, the Ministry of Agriculture adopts as a policy that year to stop the researches and to fire the senior corn researchers for easing its importation in benefit of corn’s importing companies.

 

It’s not about the goodness, efficiency, or safety of the product or the technology but the economic interests agenda of the groups that take control of stakeholding system for generating rules, resolutions, or laws, in other words, profitable game rules for them.

 

Marketing science or science’s marketing?

There are who think that the triumph of a theory or proposal depends on the scientific community’s decision, that the theory with most conviction power imposes. However, the long inventions record proves when there are more than a theory or answer in conflict and each one offers acceptable solutions, they don’t have the warrant of the acceptance triumph by that

 

It’s successful that one which pitchers have most prestige, recognizement, capability of influence, and media to setup the perception of their convenience in the collective thinking. Anyway, that one with much power.

 

[1] eng. Pedro Injante. 2006. Responsible of the Project for Hard Yellow Corn Hybrids Evaluation in Lambayeque Department, ffunded by the Incagro/Minag Programme.

 

Edited and translated by Nelson Peñaherrera. © 2011 by Fidel Torres Guevara. All Rights Reserved. FACTORTIERRA does not necessarily endorse the author’s opinions.