Within the framework of the technical collaboration between Bioleft and Rete Semi Rurali, Enrico Cresta was invited to present the participatory corn breeding work being carried out for organic production. His presentation, “Participatory Breeding (PPB*) of an OP corn variety for organic farming in Argentina: strategies to eliminate GMO contamination,” was well-received by the Semi Rurali team based in Florence, Italy.
Enrico described the work being undertaken at the Altos Verdes Farm, located in the southern part of Córdoba province, to develop his own corn variety adapted to organic conditions, as part of Bioleft’s participatory breeding projects.
Semi Rurali is particularly interested in learning about the strategies currently being used to eliminate GMO contamination in developing corn seeds and to maintain GMO-free status throughout the process. Although genetically modified events are prohibited in agricultural production within the European Community, there is pressure to deregulate these events, leading the European organic farming community to seek alternatives. In this regard, the experience of Argentine farmers, who have been developing organic production alternatives to the conventional model since the early 2000s, is of great interest.
In the case of corn, given cross-pollination, maintaining GMO-free production presents particular challenges and requirements. Semi Rurali was very interested in learning about the process that Enrico and Bioleft have followed to obtain a GMO-free corn variety and maintain it throughout the seed development process, which is one of the critical points of organic production.
We are very pleased to continue finding spaces for learning and collaboration with colleagues from all over the world and are very grateful to Semi Rurali for their interest in learning about our participatory breeding experiences.
Want to learn more about our projects? Contact us at info@bioleft.org or subscribe to our newsletter.
And if you are interested in learning more about the work of farmers to create a networked agriculture, we suggest you stay tuned, because “Re-enchanting Seeds” is coming soon, a Bioleft podcast with Enrico as one of its protagonists.