Heather Lee, Global Justice Ecology Project
Brazil’s approval of genetically modified (GM) eucalyptus trees for commercial production represents a serious threat to biological diversity, ecosystem function and human rights. The approval runs counter to and undermines COP decision IX/5 (2008) which reaffirms the need to take a precautionary approach to GM trees. Brazil’s decisions threaten to open the door to the large-scale release of GM eucalyptus and to the approval and use of other GM trees, such as GM pine, around the world.
Brazilian pulp company Suzano (and its subsidiary FuturaGene) has received permission from the government of Brazil to release nine varieties of GM eucalyptus trees for commercial production. These GM trees, not yet in commercial production, have been modified to tolerate spraying by the toxic herbicide glyphosate, produce a toxin to kill certain insects (Bt), and to grow faster. The deployment of these GM traits would further exacerbate the devastating social, ecological and socio-economic impacts of current extensive industrial eucalyptus monocultures.
Toxic treadmill: Glyphosate-tolerant GM crops have led to dramatic increases in the use of glyphosate. The wide application of glyphosate, especially through arial spraying, has wide ecological impacts, and the spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds can lead to more spraying.
Poisoned pollinators: GM insect-resistant eucalyptus trees would produce Bt toxins that could threaten pollinators like honeybees, butterflies and other insects critical to healthy forest ecosystems, and negatively impact local agriculture and honey production.
Ecosystem-wide impacts: Development of faster-growing GM eucalyptus plantations would accelerate the depletion of soils and fresh water observed in eucalyptus plantations. Their use is projected to result in the further rapid conversion of native forests to tree plantations.
Horizon scanning: The genetic engineering of trees highlights the importance of horizon scanning and need for robust risk assessments. Genetic engineering can result in unintended changes at the DNA, trait and behavioural levels, which may not be noticed in initial tests and could cause serious harm in the long-term.
GM contamination: The use of GM eucalyptus trees in Brazil would further threaten forests, Indigenous Peoples and local communities in Brazil and neighboring countries. Containment and monitoring would be difficult, if not impossible. The trees could escape and become invasive or potentially crossbreed with invasive eucalyptus trees that have become naturalized, including in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, causing further harm through the spread of GM traits. As well, large-scale eucalyptus plantations grow in Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
CBD’s 2008 decision for a precautionary approach to GM trees: Parties to the Convention should fully implement Decision IX/5 which reaffirms the need to take a precautionary approach in relation to GM trees and recognizes the risks of GM trees to global forest biological diversity and the potential for adverse socio-cultural impacts to Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Parties should not permit the commercial release of GM trees until independent long-term, full life-cycle risk assessments have safely been carried out and conclusively prove that such trees will not harm forest biological diversity and ecosystem functions, nor the well-being of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Such studies do not exist at this time.
This is supported by 100+ organizations from more than 30 countries: https://stopgetrees.org/open-letter