Economics
Drought-Stricken Wheat Belts Offered a Thorny Solution From Argentina
- Biotech company Bioceres awaits approval for GMO seed variety
- Exporters fear becoming trade pariah if consumers aren’t ready
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Argentina thinks it has a solution to droughts that’ve plagued blockbuster wheat producers from the Black Sea to Australia. The problem? Acceptance won’t come easy.
Agtech startup Bioceres has developed a genetically-modified wheat plant that can withstand drought and offer farmers higher yields. But while GMO soybeans and corn, mainly used for animal feed, are widely planted and traded, the agriculture industry has been loathe to take the plunge with wheat, which is directly consumed by humans.