Yes, modern agriculture and biotechnology do have allies in Europe — just not enough, yet.

This week, MAIZALL, the international maize alliance, brought its message regarding the importance of biotechnology for producers in the Americas to both private sector and governmental stakeholders in Europe. The MAIZALL team also stressed the need for a predictable, science-based regulatory regime in the EU.

Producers in Argentina, Brazil and the United States have long recognized that they will need continued access to the growing pipeline of new biotechnology traits to meet future global food security requirements. They understand this will require a streamlined global approval process, including greater synchronicity of event approvals.

In meetings with  members of the livestock and feed manufacturing industries in Portugal and Spain, alliance members found eager allies. Portugal and Spain are ahead of the EU curve, since they are among the few countries in the EU that allow cultivation of at least some biotech corn. Corn growers in both countries are eager for greater access to technology and downstream users want greater access to competitively-priced world markets.

Spain and Portugal continue to rely on imports of corn from all three MAIZALL member countries. Livestock and feed producers in both countries encouraged the MAIZALL team to advocate for synchronous approvals and access to more biotechnology traits with the European Commission. Also, the EU pledged to collaborate and work cooperatively with MAIZALL in securing a more synchronous biotech approval process.

MAIZALL’s discussions continued through the week with officials of the Portuguese and Spanish Ministries of Agriculture as well the agricultural attaches of the Argentine, Brazilian, and U.S. Embassies in each country. In addition, MAIZALL met with other members of the corn value chain, including agricultural biotechnology organizations. The team will travel next to Brussels to meet with several European Commission offices, several European agribusiness groups and EU member state delegations.