CONTAMINACIÓN GENÉTICA

The document argues that GMOs have been introduced too rapidly without adequate knowledge of their impacts, leading to widespread 'genetic contamination'. It highlights the StarLink corn disaster as a primary example of regulatory failure in the US and its subsequent international impact. The report details various instances of unauthorized GMOs appearing in food products and crops across Japan, South Korea, Argentina, Europe, India, and Mexico. It specifically warns against the use of GMOs in food aid to developing nations and the emerging risks of 'biopharmacology'—plants engineered to produce pharmaceuticals. The text concludes by recommending that governments ratify the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and implement strict national regulatory frameworks and detection mechanisms.

• The StarLink corn variety, produced by Aventis, became the most significant case of unauthorized GMO contamination in the human food chain globally after being discovered in 'Taco Bell' tacos in August 2000, despite only being approved for animal feed due to potential allergenic properties.
• The US regulatory system failed to prevent StarLink contamination because the EPA allowed Aventis to self-regulate its prevention system, and the FDA did not implement adequate monitoring to keep the variety out of the human food chain.
• Genetic contamination from StarLink extended internationally, with unauthorized traces detected in corn shipments from the US to Japan and South Korea, despite certifications claiming the shipments were GMO-free.
• GMO contamination has occurred in several other regions: 6,000 hectares of contaminated rapeseed in Europe (France, Germany, Luxembourg, Sweden, and UK), illegal GMO cotton in Gujarat, India, and genetically modified material found in wild maize in Oaxaca and Puebla, Mexico.
• Food aid from the US and other sources has been used as a vehicle for introducing GMOs into developing countries; monitoring in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala found high levels of GMO soy and corn, including StarLink and Roundup Ready varieties.
• The state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil implemented a policy to be 'GMO-free' and used rapid detection kits to identify Roundup Ready soy, finding a 3.5% positive rate in samples, which was later confirmed by DNA analysis.
• The report suggests that the widespread nature of GMO contamination may not be accidental, but rather a deliberate industry strategy to force countries to legalize genetic contamination by making it impossible to find GMO-free food.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2002). CONTAMINACIÓN GENÉTICA. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/contamination2esp.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. CONTAMINACIÓN GENÉTICA. 2002. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/contamination2esp.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=CONTAMINACIÓN GENÉTICA |date=August 2002 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/contamination2esp.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2002contaminacin, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{CONTAMINACIÓN GENÉTICA}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2002}, month = aug, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/contamination2esp.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }