Los transgénicos en la agricultura argentina

The document analyzes the rapid integration of transgenic crops in Argentina, particularly glyphosate-tolerant soybean, examining the interplay between structural economic reforms, intellectual property laws, and biosafety regulations. It assesses the distribution of benefits between farmers and technology providers, the environmental effects of combining GMOs with no-till farming, and the challenges posed by the illegal seed market and international trade barriers related to labeling.

• Argentina is the second largest producer of transgenic crops globally after the United States, driven primarily by the massive adoption of glyphosate-tolerant soybean.
• The adoption of glyphosate-tolerant soybean in Argentina resulted in a 'virtuous intensification' because it was paired with no-till farming (siembra directa), which reduced soil erosion and the use of highly toxic herbicides like atrazine.
• The distribution of economic benefits from GMOs varies significantly by crop: soybean producers captured the majority of benefits (over 82%), while for Bt cotton and Bt maize, technology providers captured approximately 80% of the benefits.
• The rapid spread of transgenic soybean was facilitated by a unique institutional situation where the RR gene was 'released' and could not be patented by Monsanto in Argentina, preventing the company from charging a 'technology fee' as it does in the US.
• The illegal seed market, known as 'bolsa blanca', is estimated to represent between 35% and 50% of the market, which reduces incentives for innovation and weakens the effectiveness of the seed industry.
• The adoption of the soybean-wheat double-cropping system, enabled by GMOs and no-till farming, contributed to a significant increase in direct agricultural employment, adding nearly 200,000 jobs between 1993 and 1999.
• Argentina's biosafety regulatory system, centered on the National Advisory Commission on Agricultural Biosafety (CONABIA), is considered a useful model for other countries, though it lacks a formal legal basis as a law and relies on administrative resolutions.
• The approval of new GMO events in Argentina is heavily dependent on whether those events are already approved in the primary export markets, which may discourage domestic R&D for local problems.
• There is a stark contrast in consumer perceptions of GMOs between developed and developing nations; European consumers show high hostility and demand mandatory labeling, while consumers in countries like Mexico and the Philippines are more open to biotechnology as a tool for nutrition and poverty reduction.
• The report identifies a lack of domestic investment in agricultural biotechnology R&D compared to international standards, leaving Argentina dependent on innovations from multinational corporations.

APA

Trigo, E., Chudnovsky, D., Cap, E., & López, A. (2003). Los transgénicos en la agricultura argentina. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_transgenic_argentina_es.pdf

Chicago

Trigo, Eduardo, Daniel Chudnovsky, Eugenio Cap, and Andrés López. Los transgénicos en la agricultura argentina. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2003. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_transgenic_argentina_es.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Trigo |first1=Eduardo |last2=Chudnovsky |first2=Daniel |last3=Cap |first3=Eugenio |last4=López |first4=Andrés |title=Los transgénicos en la agricultura argentina |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=January 2003 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_transgenic_argentina_es.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{trigo2003los, author = {Trigo, Eduardo and Chudnovsky, Daniel and Cap, Eugenio and López, Andrés}, title = {{Los transgénicos en la agricultura argentina}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2003}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_transgenic_argentina_es.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }