In Ecuador, genetically modified soy is sold without consumers knowing it.

Sales of genetically modified soy are carried out in violation of Ecuadorian legislation, which is very clear on the matter.

Soybeans are the most widely produced oilseed crop and have the largest share of the world market. More than half of the total oilseeds produced annually in the world are soybeans.

This immense growth is due to the great boost given by the United States government to its soybean sector, grouped in the ASA (American Soybean Association)[1], created to promote soybean trade in the United States and the rest of the world.

The ASA has imposed a change in people's lifestyle centered on soy: replacing red meat with white meat, animal fats with vegetable fats, and cow's meat and milk with "soy meat and milk." They turned soy into the symbol of healthy living (Bravo, 2005: 7-21).

Today, it exerts various types of pressure or encouragement on delegates from Third World countries, for example by inviting them on tours to learn about the "American success" of genetically modified soy.

At present, major soybean producers have completely abandoned conventional varieties in favor of genetically modified soybeans. GM soybeans account for almost 501 TP3T of the total surface area planted with genetically modified seeds in the world, and all of them are soybeans resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, marketed under the name Roundup Ready soybeans (or RR soybeans).

In 2011, the area planted with glyphosate-resistant soybean seeds was 75.4 million hectares, which was planted basically in 4 countries: the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay (James, 2011).

The rapid adoption of transgenic soy is due to the fact that it favors the management of weeds using chemical applications instead of manual work. This means that rural labor is substantially reduced, the presence of glyphosate in the environment is increased, and the amount of residues of this agrotoxin in soybean seeds is increased.

The increase in the area planted with soybeans in the world is growing hand in hand with the expansion of the poultry and pork industry, especially in the Third World, where many of the large production companies have moved in order to reduce production costs (because in these countries labor, land and water are cheaper), and because they do not have to comply with strict environmental and labor standards as in their countries of origin.

In recent years, several studies have emerged that report on the health impacts produced by genetically modified soy. 

Some animal studies have shown that genetic engineering can be used to introduce new allergenic compounds into crops, increase the presence of naturally occurring allergens, or even alter harmless compounds to produce allergenic proteins. Most known food allergens are proteins with peculiar characteristics, but some compounds do not fit this description and there is no technique available to detect their allergenic properties a priori, except through direct exposure.

In a study conducted in the Netherlands, researchers found that 22 of 33 proteins analyzed from GM crops contained DNA sequences identical to those present in known allergens (Kleter GA and Peijnenburg, 2002).

In histological studies of rats and mice fed conventional soy and glyphosate-resistant soy, an alteration in the color of the rat testes was found, as well as alterations in the young sperm cells of mice fed with transgenic soy. Embryos of pregnant mice fed with transgenic soy showed changes in DNA function compared to the control group (mothers fed with conventional soy) (Vecchio et al. 2004).

Studies conducted by the Universidad del Litoral in Argentina show that glyphosate is not completely metabolized by transgenic soybean plants, and that it accumulates in the seeds and roots. In other words, transgenic soybean grains have a significant accumulation of glyphosate (Arregi et al. 2004). Pest Manag. 60(2):163 – 6.

In humans, glyphosate alone or in formulation (as is the case with Roundup) has been found to cause skin and eye irritation, nausea and dizziness, pulmonary edema, decreased blood pressure, allergic reactions, abdominal pain, massive loss of gastrointestinal fluid, vomiting, loss of consciousness, destruction of red blood cells, abnormal electrocardiograms, and kidney damage or failure. 

Carrasco's studies show the teratogenic effects of glyphosate, as it acts on the first mechanisms of morphogenesis in vertebrate embryos, which raises concerns about the clinical results of human offspring in populations exposed to transgenic soybean in agricultural fields, and among those who consume soy-based products (Carrasco, et al., 2010).

Our main sources of imported soybeans are Argentina, United States and Bolivia: where mainly transgenic soy is produced. 

The main importing companies are: Pronaca, Agripac, Pollo Favorito, Afaba, Avesca, Anhalzer Incubator, Oro Agricultural Integration, Promariscos.

From 2006 to 2012, soybean imports to Ecuador have increased by more than 40% per tonne, reaching volumes of 14 million tonnes in 2012 compared to the 10 million tonnes imported in 2006, according to statistics from the Central Bank of Ecuador.

To reduce our dependence on exports, we intend to increase soybeans as part of the change in the productive matrix, but we want to use transgenic soybeans in order to increase yield to 3.5 MT/ha.[3] (MAGAP, 2013).

The proposal made by MAGAP is surprising, since at the moment no country has achieved such high yields, as shown in the following table:

1. Countries such as Argentina, Brazil and the United States, where there have been extensive genetic improvement programs for soybeans, for example through INTA and EMBRAPA, are those with the highest yields. These research centers have managed to adapt soybeans to several of the phytogeographic zones of their countries, and generate high-yield varieties.

2. It is in these varieties, developed by public institutions and with public funds, that Monsanto has inserted its genes.

3. Soybean yield is not related to whether or not it is transgenic, but to the conventional improvement programs carried out on national varieties.

4. Countries such as Bolivia and Paraguay have lower yields than Ecuador, despite the use of transgenic seeds.

The area planted with soybeans in Ecuador is as follows: