O processo produtivo capitalista na agricultura e a introdução dos organismos geneticamente modificados : o caso da cultura da soja Roundup Ready (RR) no Brasil

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2009

RESUMO

This study brings to light the question of the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Brazilian agriculture, particularly soybean production. The text discusses how changes in intellectual property rights could permit the capitalistic appropriation of large amounts of socially generated plus-value in agricultural sector, and of nature too, by large corporations, affecting life and mode of production of millions of small farmers all over the world. The anallisys shows the process of capitalistic concentration and centralization occurred on the seed industry, where, in near a decade, resulted in a massive concentration of capitals never seen before in this sector. Today, less than ten corporations control over 70% of the global seed market. This situation became possible, because radical changes in the field of genetic engineering and legal architecture of intellectual property rights occured during the nineties. This entire process fulfills the elements proposed by Karl Marx theory on market concentration. The GMOs introduction in Brazilian agriculture occurs after RR soybean variety, developed by Monsanto Corporation, early introduced in USA and Argentina. In these countries, the predominance of RR soybean arises rapidly, championing the field of soybean seeds. Despite these facts, in Brazil RR Soybean face extreme difficulties to gain market, in the same period. Added to legal constraints (the first introduction was considered not legal), RR Soybean must face economic obstacles to its expansion. In the Brazilian case the study demonstrates that, the existence of structural disadvantages in conventional soybean production in Rio Grande do Sul state, propitiates a quick and massive adoption of GMO Soybean by all segments of producers, from small to large farmers, from low productive, to high yielding landowners. Otherwise, in other two large Brazilian soybean producer states (Paraná and Mato Grosso) the GMO adoption rate faced a slow and difficult way, derived from diverse conditions. Another aspect identified says about to structural advantages from climate and soil conditions in Mato Grosso State, which provides until present, the highest yield and most relevant profits to conventional soybean. The reason to this phenomenon lies essentially in the existence of high yielding soybean varieties, superiors to transgenic crops, until now disposable to Brazilian farmers by Monsanto or other firms. It was identified too, in Brazil, the existence of a productive disadvantage of transgenic soybean, related to conventional cultivars, derived from yield lag, i. e. one problem derived from the fact that the soybean variety used to made genetic engineering was not in the group of elite varieties, or highest yielding varieties, resulting in delays in transgenic crops adoption rate. This delay must be temporary, because industry and public research teams are focused to launch new high yielding transgenic soybean varieties every year. Despite these efforts, that delay actually appears to be specially sensitive to medium and large Brazilian soybean producers, who make use of high yielding technological packages, that perform very well with conventional soybean varieties. The study found a dynamic state of equilibrium between transgenic and conventional soybean varieties, because despite production costs are lower in GM production, hectare yielding is higher to conventional soybean, and sometimes obtains premium prices for non-transgenic crops. In present, that situation tends to favour conventional crops in many situations, specially to producers that obtain highest yields and net returns. This dynamic situation made that balance droop in favour of maintainance of conventional soybean for large and important segment of producers, specifically those that yield high volumes and obtain low costs of production. But, at the same time, leads to a growth number of small and medium producers that dont use the top level techonological packet, or that confront with high rates of weed infection, to adopt GM soybean. Regarding environmental aspects, the study analyses the herbicide consumption in Brazil, one of the major aspects argued in ads or speeches to promote transgenic crops. The study identified reduction in use of herbicides in the first years of adoption of GM soybean. Otherwise, there is an increase on herbicide use after initial years of reduction. These facts are coherent with studies taken in US and Europe, and suggests that the emergence of resistance of weeds to glifosate put in question the affirmation of reduction in use of herbicides and obligates farmers to use an increasing amount of pesticides.

ASSUNTO(S)

alimentos geneticamente modificados outros sesenvolvimento econômico soja aspectos ambientais biotecnologia agrícola

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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