On Friday, June 7, 2013, the Belize Agriculture Health Authority issued a press release confirming that genetically modified soybean seeds were found in Northern Belize. Since current government policy does not allow the sowing of GMO seeds in Belize, BAHA decided to have the soybean seeds milled and used for the production of animal feed which currently contains imported genetically modified soybeans.
While this case has gone unnoticed by most Belizeans, it appears that small farmers in Little Belize had been growing GMO soybeans for as much as five years. The Belize Grain Growers Association (BGGA) had cautioned farmers to know the source of both soybean and corn seeds, since the Government of Belize does not allow the growing of GMO seeds.
Since the confirmation of GMO soybeans in Belize, a small group of expatriates, under the Belizeans against GMOs (BAGMO) umbrella, wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to declare Belize a GMO-free country.
BAGMO also issued a press release calling the farmers action an act of “biopiracy,” and suggesting that Monsanto should come to Belize and sue these farmers for trying to improve their production. How ridiculous!
As I write this article, I, Prosser, and Monsanto are in no way condoning the action of farmers to plant GMO seeds when current policy indicates that no GMO seeds should be planted in Belize. In the meantime, though, it is important for other facts surrounding soybean in Belize and the world be brought to the forefront. Let’s consider the following:
Belize currently imports about 95% of its soybean meal, which is a major component of animal feed. Almost all of the imported soybean meal contains GMO soybean and is used to feed all our commercially-grown chickens, layers and pigs. GMO soybean is also used in supplemental feed for horses, sheep and cattle in Belize, and most imported dog food and cat food are made with GMO soybean.
Belize also currently imports numerous foods made with GMO soybeans, or containing soybean oil which is primarily made from GMO soybeans. Canned or foods preserved in oil uses GMO soybean as the source of oil, and these are common on the shelves of local supermarkets, so we have been eating GMO for years.
81% of global soybean production is GMOs and the acreage of GMO soybeans continue to increase. USA, China, Brazil and Argentina lead the way in soybean production and technology.
GMO soybean has passed all food safety tests by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), and other food safety institutes in Brazil, Russia, Australia, Japan and numerous other countries.
Soybean is not a plant that is natural to Belize and as such, there are no wild soybeans growing here. The idea then that GMO soybean can cross with wild soybeans is therefore literally impossible.
Belize currently produces between 500-1,500 acres of soybean each year, and the primary reason why this crop has not taken off in Belize is that farmers’ yield is typically less than 1,500 pounds/acre. At this yield, the planting of soybeans is a losing venture and at most, farmers may break even. Farmers in the US, Brazil and Argentina are typically getting yields of 2,500 pounds/acre.
It appears that farmers in Belize were able to get yields of around 2,500 pounds/acre using GMO soybean, and this was stimulating the development of the local soybean industry.
Monsanto’s patent for Roundup Ready technology, which is used in soybeans, is set to expire in early 2014, and as such, the 2013 November crop will be the last that the patents will apply to. Farmers and seed companies will therefore be able to use the Roundup Ready trait free of royalties or the threat of lawsuits.
What have we learnt from the farmers smuggling GMO soybean seeds into Belize? First, Belize has taken too long to address GMO legislation. Despite all the hype about GMOs, Belize currently has no legislation governing GMOs and as such, while the importing of GMO seed may be illegal, the planting of GMOs from your own seed may actually not be illegal. We must therefore move quickly to pass legislation setting up the procedures for testing and approving GMO crops in Belize.
Belize currently imports over $24 million worth of GMO soybean meal, so why do we not allow our farmers to grow what we import?
With Belize currently importing 43 million pounds of GMO soybean, we can have our farmers planting this crop, properly rotated with corn, and saving Belize $24 million dollars worth of foreign exchange annually.
(Ed. NOTE: The opinions of Mr. Simmons are his own, and not those of this newspaper.)