The general manager of the Bolivian Institute of Foreign Trade, Gary Rodríguez, has criticized the government's reluctance to endorse genetically improved corn varieties, highlighting the widespread production, importation, smuggling, and consumption of transgenic corn in the country. He argued that small producers in Santa Cruz are suffering losses and seeking advanced seeds to mitigate losses from pests and weather conditions. Anapo, the National Association of Oilseed and Wheat Producers, has appealed to the government to permit the use of two transgenic corn events for agriculture, consumption, and marketing, but the government has yet to respond, citing the need for adherence to national regulations.