SOYBEAN GMO # 2 - See a complete GMO soy guide and get all your questions answered

Transgenic soybeans still leave many doubts, even though it is the most widely planted genetically modified (GM) crop in Brazil and worldwide. Officially present in Brazil since 1998, when the adoption of GM crops began in the country, the transgenic version of the plant revolutionized Brazilian agriculture.

GMO soy: what is it

A transgenic soybean is soybean that has had its genetic code modified by inserting a gene from another organism. The goal is for the new plant to have characteristics that conventional soybean did not have.

In Brazil, the characteristics that have been inserted in commercially available genetically modified soybean (GM) varieties are herbicide tolerance and insect resistance.

Soybean is a protein rich plant originating in East Asia and has in recent decades had a significant increase in its planted area worldwide. Today, several soy products are found, for example tofu, oils and grains.

Benefits of GM Soy

Using this technology to improve soy has numerous benefits for both consumers and farmers:

It optimizes the use of pesticides - or, as they are popularly known, pesticides;

Helps reduce environmental impact as less pesticide applications save water and fuel;

Helps to improve farmers' health as workers are less exposed to pesticides with fewer pesticide applications;

Contributes to reducing crop losses and thus increasing farmer productivity and profit

Origin of transgenic soy

The first transgenic soybean was developed in the United States in 1995. It was modified to show tolerance to a herbicide, glyphosate. After years of research and biosafety testing, it was authorized for planting, reaching the North American fields the following year.

In 1997, she was authorized in Argentina. Soon Brazilian producers on the border recognize the benefits of this technology. In 1998, glyphosate tolerant transgenic soybean was approved in Brazil and became the first transgenic crop adopted in the country. This transgenic soybean is known as Roundup Ready (or RR).

From 1995 until today, other transgenic soybean varieties have been developed, such as insect resistant (known as Bt). In this case, the species were developed to resist the attack of pest insects. The gene that confers this trait comes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis.

This technology is already available to Brazilian farmers, as well as varieties that have both characteristics at the same time.

Varieties of oilseeds with other characteristics are already at an advanced stage of research. In Brazil, for example, Embrapa Soy works to obtain a drought-resistant soy. This would allow it to allow the plant to be grown in regions with less water availability.

Embrapa's other unit, Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, is working to transform soy into a medicinal compound factory.

In the world, there are also investigations for the development of varieties tolerant to other herbicides, resistant to other insects and even with improved nutritional attributes.

Transgenic soybean scenario in Brazil

Brazil is the second largest producer of transgenic foods in the world, behind only the United States and followed by Argentina. The country adopts four crops: soybean, corn, cotton and, more recently, sugarcane. In soybeans, 96.5% of all planted area in Brazil with oilseed is transgenic.

Is GM soy bad for your health?

Any biotechnology-derived products intended for human and animal nutrition undergo a rigorous assessment of their biosafety before being released for consumption. To date, no health problems related to the ingestion of transgenic (or derived) foods have been found.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that marketed transgenic foods pose no more risk to human health than their non-genetically modified versions.

Is GM soy bad for the environment?

No. That's because the need to apply pesticides - or pesticides, as they are popularly known - to fight pests decreases. In this way, the expense of water in the preparation of products is reduced, as well as the disposal of packaging, avoiding contamination of rivers, soils and animals.

The use of fuel in tractors that apply products to crops also drops, which means fewer polluting gases released into the atmosphere. This technology reduces crop losses, thereby increasing productivity and reducing the need for new planting areas.

Transgender to the cure

Transgenic soy can be an ally in the fight against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. According to an article published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal, the team of scientists led by Dr. Elibio Rech of Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology inserted a cyanobacterial gene into the plant. As a result, genetically engineered soybeans have now produced cyanovirine, a compound that can be used to prevent virus contamination.

The choice of soybean was because oleaginous allows cyanovirine to be produced on a larger scale and at a lower cost compared to other methods. If this soybean were approved, a drug could be developed from cyanovirin extracted from the plant. The impact of such a product on the health of the population of Africa, the continent with the highest incidence of AIDS on the planet, could be enormous.

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