Al grano: impacto del maíz transgénico en España

The report examines the impact of transgenic maize, specifically the Bt 176 variety, in Spain. It argues that the Spanish government has failed to implement adequate monitoring and prevention plans, leading to genetic contamination of organic crops and the development of pest resistance. The document claims that transgenic maize does not provide the promised yield increases and poses risks to non-target species and human health through antibiotic resistance markers. It concludes that Spain is uniquely permissive within the EU and calls for a halt to transgenic cultivation until a comprehensive legal and safety framework is established.

• Spain is the only European Union member state that allows the commercial-scale cultivation of transgenic crops, with an estimated area of 20,000 to 25,000 hectares.
• The Spanish government has failed to conduct independent monitoring or objective evaluations of the effects of transgenic maize on health, agriculture, and the environment, relying instead on industry-generated data.
• Evidence from Navarra indicates that the European corn borer is developing resistance to the Bt toxin, with some studies showing that the transgenic variety Compa CB is more attacked than its non-transgenic isogenic counterpart, Dracma.
• Genetic contamination has occurred in Spain; in 2001, transgenic material (Bt 176) was detected in organic maize crops in Navarra, resulting in the disqualification of those productions from the organic market.
• The report asserts that transgenic maize does not provide higher yields than conventional varieties in Spain; specifically, in Navarra, the Compa CB variety has produced less than the regional standard (IP100) in multiple years between 1998 and 2000.
• The Bt 176 variety poses risks to non-target species, including high mortality rates in Monarch butterfly larvae and adverse effects on beneficial insects like the lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea).
• The use of the ampicillin resistance marker gene in Bt 176 maize is identified as a public health risk due to the potential transfer of antibiotic resistance to pathogenic bacteria in the human or animal gastrointestinal tract.
• The Spanish administration has not enforced the required 'prevention plan' for the Compa CB variety, which was supposed to be presented by March 2000 to monitor insect resistance and environmental effects.

APA

Spendeler, L., & Carrasco, J.-F. (2003). Al grano: impacto del maíz transgénico en España. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Algrano03-08baja.pdf

Chicago

Spendeler, Liliane, and Juan-Felipe Carrasco. Al grano: impacto del maíz transgénico en España. Friends of the Earth International, 2003. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Algrano03-08baja.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Spendeler |first1=Liliane |last2=Carrasco |first2=Juan-Felipe |title=Al grano: impacto del maíz transgénico en España |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=August 2003 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Algrano03-08baja.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{spendeler2003grano, author = {Spendeler, Liliane and Carrasco, Juan-Felipe}, title = {{Al grano: impacto del maíz transgénico en España}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2003}, month = aug, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Algrano03-08baja.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }