Green light in Brazil to GM imports.

Brazil's Lula allows genetically modified imports
- Agence France Presse via France 24, March 23, 2007,

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva eased rules on importing genetically modified agricultural organisms, the official news agency said.

This item via Agbioview reports that the presidential green light given late Wednesday could most immediately benefit Germany's Bayer, which has sought approval for a variety of genetically modified corn.

A bare majority of the 27 members of the National Technical Biosecurity Commission gave their backing for the commercialization of just one transgenic crop.

Oddly, Lula also vetoed the commercialization of genetically modified cotton, which has already been planted illicitly in 2006 on some 150,000 hectares (370,000 acres) in Brazil.

Despite political opposition, transgenic soybeans were provisionally approved in Brazil in 2004 and approval has been renewed annually. The government relinquished oversight after many farmers were found to have been planting genetically modified crops in southern Brazil.

The International Biotechnology Agricultural Purchasing and Application Service (ISAAA) says modified cotton and soybean crops cover 11.4 million hectares (28 million acres) of Brazil in 2006, a rise of 2.1 million hectares (5.0 million acres).