Argentina’s transgenic wheat has passed US FDA biotechnology checks

The HB4 transgenic grain, resistant to droughtwas approved on Monday from United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)and is added to the authorization already extended in our country and from Brazil, Australia, Colombia and New Zealand.

and the first time that the Food and Drugs Administration concludes favorably the evaluation of an Argentine development of this type. Although it is voluntary, it implies a broad and rigorous series of presentations to get a complete regulatory, nutritional, environmental impact, quality and safety assessment allowing its use in food markets.

The consultation was initiated in 2018 by the Bioceres Group, which developed this drought-resistant technology in a world-leading public-private scientific work led by researcher Raquel Chan, of the Universidad del Litoral and Conicet. This innovation was achieved by the introgression of a sunflower gene and it is increasingly important in the context of the progress of climate change.

In terms of production, the technical tests have reflected this, in water scarcity scenarios, such as those presented by this agricultural campaign. HB4 wheats show yields up to 40% higher than conventional more sown varieties.

This first world power approval is one step further than the approvals started in Argentina. In 2020 the Department of Agriculture national guarantees completed, after what was certified years earlier from National Agro-Food Health Service (SENASA) and National Commission for Biotechnology (Conabia). This triple normative assessment distinguishes the Argentine biotech control system as one of the most reliable in the world.

In recent months, a series of approvals have been added that Grupo Bioceres has obtained in many of the main wheat importing and producing countries, following over 10 years of work so that the HB4 grain complies with the necessary regulations in each of these markets.

Together with the FDA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Agriculture are working to ensure that genetically modified organisms (GMOs), such as HB4 wheat, are safe for human, plant and animal health. The next step is to obtain commercial clearance from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

In this sense, the latest national support was promoted by the Minister of Agriculture, Julian Dominguezthe Secretary for Food, Bioeconomy and Regional Development, Luis Contigianithe president of National Seed Institute (Inase), Obdulio San Martino, which authorized the hitherto pending marketing of seeds of this type. They implemented it with resolution 27/2023, published on May 12 in the Official Gazette.

With all, Bioceres maintains strict control over the traceability of production of this type of grain. The cultivation and its collection is managed under the identity retained together with associated producers and not yet marketed as wheat.