((Automatic translation by Reuters, please see disclaimer https://bit.ly/rtrsauto))
(Added information about genetically modified wheat to sections 11-13) by Tom Polansek and Julie Ingwersen
A type of genetically modified wheat developed by Argentinian company Bioceres Crop Solutions BIOX.O can be grown and raised safely in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Tuesday.
Bioceres still needs to complete additional steps, including field trials, that will take years before it can commercialize HB4 wheat, modified to tolerate drought, the industry group US Wheat Associates said.
Still, the USDA’s decision brings genetically modified wheat closer to production in the United States, a potential victory for farmers facing drought and more severe weather, despite concerns from some consumers.
“Wherever wheat is grown around the world, drought destroys yield and quality, so an innovation like HB4 is of great interest to growers like me,” said wheat producer Michael Peters and former president of US Wheat Associates.
Genetic modification involves changing the makeup of a plant by transferring DNA from one organism to another. Some consumer groups oppose the genetic modification of wheat for reasons of human health, as it is widely used to make bread and pasta and is therefore consumed directly by humans.
According to US Wheat Associates, the USDA’s decision on HB4 wheat goes further than the agency has ever done on genetically modified wheat.
Bioceres declined to comment.
The company said opposition to GM wheat was waning because of rising food prices and because GM crops can survive drought and pests, reducing the risk of famine.
In May, Bioceres said it had started selling genetically modified wheat seeds in Argentina. This is the first time this technology has been made available to farmers worldwide.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completed a review of Bioceres’ wheat in 2022 without further questions. The FDA oversees the safety of food from new genetically modified crops before they are released to the market, while the USDA examines the impact on agriculture and the environment.
Bioceres also has food and feed regulatory approval in Nigeria, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia and South Africa, and farmers are growing HB4 wheat in Argentina and Brazil, according to US Wheat Associates.
Major buyers of US wheat, including Mexico, the Philippines and Japan, have not approved it.
Twenty years ago, Monsanto Co. worked to market wheat bred to resist treatments with its herbicide Roundup, but the company suspended its efforts in 2004. International buyers had threatened to boycott American wheat if the product was introduced to the market. Bayer AG BAYGn.DE bought Monsanto in 2018.