GM Crops Promoted in El Salvador

Applications for permits to import genetically modified seeds have become stuck in government bureaucratic mazes in El Salvador, complain private industry.

Friday, February 3, 2012

The Agricultural Suppliers Association (APA) in El Salvador, is promoting the sowing of basic grains seeds that have been genetically modified in order to increase production, reports El Salvador.com.

As part of these efforts a video conference took place this week in San Salvador with Mary Andrea Ucastegui, executive director of the company Agro-Bio, a pioneer of the technology in Colombia. Ucastegui said "crops with genetically modified seed could be part of the solution to the problem of food shortages in 2050, when there will be nine billion people in the world."

The manager of the APA, Oscar Albanian, said that in El Salvador “political will is required to promote and democratize biotechnology", noting that applications for permits and environmental impact reports for importing genetically modified seeds are being filed in drawers at the ministries of Environment and Agriculture, said the article on the website.

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