In December 2003 Syngenta triumphantly labeled the countries of Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay as the United Soya Republic. At this point, Big Ag had effectively taken control of regional agricultural systems, transforming them from sustainable operations that fed and employed rural populations to factory farms. These industrial farms focus on producing cash crops for export to rich countries to be used primarily for animal feed and biofuels. Putting aside for the moment the issues of massive pesticide use and the potential dangers to our health by consuming GMOs, the destruction of traditional farming methods, particularly in Argentina, has resulted in increased poverty, more food insecurity and deforestation.
Argentina traditionally followed an agricultural system that combined the growing of grains and the pasturing of cattle. They were known worldwide for the quality of their grass-fed beef. With the advent of biotechnology, introduced to Argentina in the 1990s, the traditional methods were at best marginalized and at worse, destroyed. Argentina’s government continues to encourage and welcome the control Monsanto exerts over their agricultural economy as the income secured by exports to America and China has bolstered their ability to pay down dept. The societal consequences were never considered and continue to be ignored.
As to the almost complete destruction of their traditional cattle industry, many would argue that worldwide meat consumption must be halved in order to contain climate change. In fact, Argentineans continue to consume more meat per year than the average American, although now that beef comes from factory feedlots (CAFOs). It has come to be understood that “our modern energy-,chemical – and genetically modified organism-intensive industrial food and farming systems are the major cause of man-made global warming.” In addition, much of what Argentina now grows is intended to be exported to China for use as animal feed as the demand for meat in that country grows.
As the demand for biofuels, and particularly animal feed rose, Big Ag’s need for more land increased. As a result, there has occurred a massive exodus from the countryside as small farmers were driven off their land. Unable to afford the machines needed for soy production, the pesticides and the yearly outlay for patented seeds, many farmers left their fields or were driven out by threats and violence. Increased soy production has caused deforestation to escalate, and malnutrition and hunger have arrived in a country that prior to the introduction of GMOs produced ten times as much food as required by the population. Arguments against the expansion of GMOs in Argentina is growing, but with the complicity of their government and the corporate capture of their regulatory system progress in that regard becomes doubtful. Argentina is the world’s third largest producer of GMOs after the U.S. and Brazil.
The use of pesticides required to grow GMOs continues to increase, causing environmental destruction and severe health problems. Factory farms in Argentina apply double the amount of glyphosate and other chemicals to their fields as do Americans. There is also little regard for the populations nearby due to a paucity of regulations or lack of enforcement. Cancer clusters have been identified in rural communities as well as birth defects in children that far exceed rates occurring in urban areas of the country. A report issued a couple of years ago by Michael Warren and Natacha Pisarenko, both AP reporters, noted that “in Santa Fe, cancer rates are two times to four times higher than the national average. In Chaco, birth defects quadrupled in the decade after biotechnology dramatically expanded farming in Argentina.”
The corporate takeover of Argentina’s agriculture is being fought against. The National Indigenous Campesino Movement of Argentina defines food sovereignty as “the peoples’ right to define their agricultural and food policy, and the right of farmers and peasants to produce food.” The organization has stated that “worldwide communities are seeking an alternative to a model controlled by Cargill, Monsanto, General Foods, Nestle and Kraft foods.”
The people of Argentina living in urban areas were famously surprised by what has happened to their agricultural system and the people who live in rural areas. They are now becoming informed about the destruction brought by Big Ag. We all need to know about the damage inflicted upon Argentina and fight against it anyway we can.