Responding to a request for technical assistance from the Government of Argentina, FAO carried out a study to quantify the investments and costs involved in segregating the chains of production, transportation and embarking for GM and non-GM soya bean and maize in conformity with Article 18.2.a) of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The project, which ended in August 2004, gathered a team of 19 national and international specialists in various fields and involved a detailed analysis of the production and supply chain of soya bean and maize in the country, including infrastructure and capacity, the needs for modernisation and the investments involved, as well as an evaluation of the segregation costs. The full report plus a summary of the study are now available (in Spanish). See http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPS/new.htm or contact FAO for more information.

11/12/2004