The recent decision of the Conselho Nacional de Biossegurança (CNBS) [National Biosafety Council] which confirmed the favorable opinion of the Comissão Técnica Nacional de Biossegurança (CTNBio) [National Technical Committee on Biosafety] concerning the commercial release of two transgenic corn varieties is great news for Brazil. The score of 7 votes against 4 inside the an eminently political Council, created by the Biosafety Law of 2005 to assist the President of the Republic with his decisions in this area, may represent a new phase and way of approaching biotechnology in Brazil.

New products are expected to reach the market soon, and likewise, new studies are expected to be carried out, mainly when observing the new generations of transgenics, which will bring clear benefits to consumers: rice with beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A), Omega 3 enriched soybeans and microorganisms such as bacteria and virus that may be very useful in several areas.

Another piece of news worth pointing out in the global debate on transgenics is that, according to Report 2007 of The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), published at the beginning of February, 23 countries plant transgenic product and other 29 have already authorized imports.

In spite of such good news, over the next months Brazil will face a very difficult negotiation within the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, that may bring negative impacts to the development of biotechnology.

The point of main concern in this negotiation is that is develops without the definition of essential elements, such as the concept of damage and what is its nature. In other words, the parties to the Protocol discuss if these possible damages from Living Modofied Organisms would be limited to the use and conservation of biodiversity, as stated by the Protocol, or if damages to properties and health as well as socio-economical damages will be covered by a liability and redress system.

It does not seem safe to negotiate themes such as these when stepping on soil that looks more like quick sand. Moreover, Brazil has taken part in these discussions as if it did not have much to defend, forgetting their exuberant biodiversity and its role as the world barnyard. It is time to sees these two elements as supplementary rather than contradictory. And the biotechnology is a natural path in this scenario.

Many topics in this negotiation deserve a lot of care when discussed. Firstly, the liability of producers, shippers, biotechnology developing companies, and exporters.  Then, the need to make insurances against damages, without knowing what damage means. And it is known that the liability of countries is virtually out of question!

Brazil will take part of the next Protocol meetings, in Cartagena (in Colombia, in March) and Bonn (in Germany, in May), and it will have chance to defend proposals that safeguard the interests of the Country. The major issue is that the ministries that form the National Biosafety Council have not managed to reach an agreement, what, so far, has damaged an emphatic position of Brazil in previous meetings.

This is exactly where the risks related to Cartagena Protocol reside. The dissidences among the ministries that deal on biotechnology and biosafety in Brazil will be eternal. Whether for ideology, fear, lack of knowledge or even ignorance, the defense of Um Brasil livre de transgênicos [a Transgenic-Free Brazil] will continue to exist for a long time. And that is why, for a lot of people, the Protocol works as a field to fight against biotechnology.

The higher level of adoption of the biotechnology is a matter of time. It is up to the Brazilian government to defend positions in the Protocol meetings.  It is high time Brazil puts aside the obscurantism radicated in the never ending internal dissidences, and address biotechnology themes with seriousness. Farmers - either large or small -, food processing companies, consumers, importers of Brazilian products and the environment will be only some of those to benefit.