Fined for Planting GMO Seeds in a Country That's a Global Power
- The government sends mixed signals on transgenic seeds
- Agriculture ‘could face catastrophe if we don’t do something’
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For years, Chile has had a curious double standard when it comes to genetically modified organisms. The country is a global powerhouse in the production of GM seeds -- but makes them strictly off-limits to domestic farmers. Throw any in the ground for the local market, and the crop cops may slap you with a fine.
Now the head-spinning policies could be coming under new pressure from the most punishing drought in Chilean history. It has stunted vegetation growth, ruined harvests and unleashed calamitous wildfires, with blazes that started last week engulfing more than 100,000 square miles of forests and grasslands south of Santiago, including in the wine-producing region of Maule.