EU Food Inspectors to Visit Brazilian Soybean Production

In March, an EU mission will inspect producers and traders of soybeans in Brazil. Since the European Union has strict market regulations for GM foods, it is likely that the inspectors will focus on the reliability of established segregation methods for the separate export of GM and non-GM soy.

Brazil is an important soybean supplier to the European market. According to a survey by the grain-brokerage company Cerealpar, Brazilian farmers are expected to grow 50 percent GM soy this year, up from 25 percent in the last year. Only two years ago, Brazil was the largest exporter of GM-free soybeans in the world.

With the increase in GM soybean cultivation, trade experts expect a rise in the market price of GM-free soy. In 2006, the EU imported Brazilian soy for approximately 12 billion euros.