Cotton and corn: Peruvian government seeks to allow transgenic crops to strengthen agricultural production and reduce imports

The Minister of Agrarian Development and Irrigation of Peru, Ángel Manero, raised the possibility of authorizing the planting of genetically modified corn and cotton on the Peruvian coast. This measure seeks to counteract the advance of imports of both agricultural products in that country. “We plant less and less corn and cotton. There is a moratorium that prevents the cultivation of GMOs in Peru until 2035, but we want to advance that deadline so as not to continue giving up space to imports,” Manero said. During his speech before the Constitutional Commission of the Peruvian Congress, Manero argued the need to advance with transgenic technology to strengthen local production. “Do not wait until 2035, but allow it now to deal with imports,” added the minister, recognizing that the modification to the Moratorium Law on Living Modified Organisms is a controversial issue in Peru. Likewise, he assured that the proposal will not affect the country's biological diversity, given that ...