Argentina Leads Global Agricultural Innovation

By Estudio Chaloupka

In 2024, Argentina’s Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, under the Ministry of Economy, authorized 25 biotechnology products—encompassing both plant-based and microbial innovations. This figure represents a historic milestone, accounting for 24.53% of all biotechnology product approvals granted in the country over the past 28 years.

This marks the most successful year to date in terms of the safe use of biotech crops in Argentina, and reflects a strategic effort to streamline evaluation, approval, and registration processes for genetically modified cultivars, vaccines, and yeasts. The 2024 approvals significantly surpassed the previous annual record of 16 products set in 2018.

Among the highlights of 2024 are 19 approved biotechnology products based on microorganisms for agricultural and agro-industrial use. These innovations contribute to enhanced agricultural productivity, with notable examples including genetically modified yeasts aimed at improving bioethanol production, as well as vaccines engineered to prevent diseases in swine and poultry raised for agricultural purposes.

Argentina also plays a key role as a counter-seasonal producer of biotech seeds—primarily maize and soybean—destined for export. In 2024, the country recorded its highest seed export volume in the past five years, largely driven by increased commercial openness to applied biotechnology. This trend has strengthened Argentina’s position in the global seed industry and boosted foreign currency inflows, supporting the national macroeconomy.

The evaluation process for all biotech products is overseen by the National Advisory Commission on Agricultural Biotechnology (CONABIA), an interdisciplinary and interinstitutional body of experts in agricultural biotechnology, as well as by the National Service for Agri-Food Health and Quality (SENASA), a decentralized agency reporting to the Ministry of Economy.

Both entities ensure environmental safety, food and feed safety, and evaluate the productive and commercial impacts of large-scale release of biotechnology products.