Mato Grosso is a world leader in the adoption of agricultural biotechnology

With a total of 12.68 million hectares (ha) of planted transgenic crops, Mato Grosso stands out in the scenario of growing genetically modified organisms (GM) in Brazil. The state has the largest area with GMOs in the country, followed by Paraná (7.23 million ha) and Rio Grande do Sul (5.53 million ha). If it were a country, Mato Grosso would be in the fourth position (among 28 countries) of the global ranking of transgenic adoption, behind only the United States (70.9 million ha), Brazil (44.2 million ha) and Argentina (24.5 million ha).
In Mato Grosso, genetically modified (GM) soybean occupies 9.07 million ha, almost the total area cultivated with oleogenous (99.3%). The rates of adoption of GM corn and cotton, the other two crops with transgenic varieties available in Brazil, are also significant. The data are from the latest report of the International Service for Acquisition of Applications in Agrobiotechnology (ISAAA). For Adriana Brondani, the executive director of the Biotechnology Information Council (CIB), the state's role is due to its agricultural vocation and the development of technologies adapted to the region. "The high levels of adoption of transgenics in Mato Grosso reveal the recognition of the efficiency of these seeds by the farmers and the confidence in their safety," he says.
The use of transgenic seeds has brought benefits to Brazil since they facilitate crop management and can provide productivity gains, reducing the need to expand arable land for food production. In addition, due to the additional characteristics of GM seeds, they favor the adoption of more sustainable agricultural practices.