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GEO-6 Regional Assessment for Latin America and the Caribbean


From the ecological point of view, M. beecheii and 17 other species of native stingless bees in the Yucatan peninsula are essential for ecosystem health as they are excellent pollinators of native flora as well as of cultivars of commercial importance.


It is through the Melipona-Mayas relation that the mutual dependence and geographical co-existence that exists between the biological and cultural diversities can be appreciated: biocultural diversity (Nietschmann 1992; Maffi 2005). Contemporary Maya knowledge includes biological, ethological and ecological characteristics of the bees that have sustained the meliponiculture for generations. The Maya people provide care to the bees as they keep their predators away, protect them from extreme climate events such as hurricanes and drought, and enhance their populations, as they know how to divide the colonies.


The Maya are therefore the bees’ guardians, and it is thanks to their care that it is possible to have the populations of M. beecheii in the state in which they are nowadays, considering the destruction that their habitat has suffered and the expansion of Africanized bees (Cairns et al. 2005). Quezada-Euán et al. (2001) documented that there were no more wild nests of M. beecheii, M. yucatanica y Scaptotrigona pectoralis in the central part of Yucatán where the henequen (Agave fourcroydes) plantations only allowed the survival of the populations confined to meliponaries.


34. Living Modified Organisms in LAC Living Modified Organisms6


and sustainable use of biodiversity. In this regard, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety works in accordance with the precautionary approach contained in Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, to ensure an adequate level of protection in the field of the safe transfer, handling and use of LMOs resulting from modern biotechnology. This international treaty was ratified by 18 countries in LAC; however, only one country, Mexico, ratified the Nagoya–Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol to the Cartagena Protocol; it is aiming to contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, also taking into account risks to human health by providing international rules and procedures in the field of liability and redress relating to LMOs.


The leading countries in biotech crops in LAC are Brazil and Argentina. In 2014, Brazil sowed 42.2 million hectares of biotech crops, which represented a growth of 5 per cent from 2013. For the past five years, Brazil has been the engine of the growth of biotech crops globally and it is expected that it can close the gap with the United States, the most important producer in the world (James 2014). In 2014 Argentina occupied the second place with 243 000 square kilometres of biotech crops, followed by Paraguay (39 000 square kilometres) and Uruguay (16 000 square kilometres, James 2014). In contrast, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia are against LMOs. The Peruvian case includes a moratorium until December 2021; till then, no LMO crops are allowed for biosafety studies. In this context, it is essential to improve the mechanism of risk assessment and take special consideration to preserve native genetic diversity in countries hosting centres of origin.


(LMOs) may have important benefits and potential negative effects on conservation


35. The Matanza - Riachuelo River Basin in Argentina, promoting governance


6 A Living Modified Organism (LMO) is defined in the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety as any living organism that possesses a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology. The Protocol also defines the terms ‘living organism’ and ‘modern biotechnology’ (see Article 3). In everyday usage LMOs are usually considered to be the same as GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), but definitions and interpretations of the term GMO vary widely (CBD 2012).


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SITUATION ANALYSIS: The Matanza - Riachuelo River forms the southern boundary of the city of Buenos Aires. The river basin currently houses 3 000–4 000 different industrial sites, generating roughly 25 per cent of the country’s GDP. Today, of the roughly 3.5–5 million people living within the


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