Argentina's Local Crop Biotechnology Developments: Why Have They Not Reached the Market Yet?

Area of Science:

• Plant biotechnology
• Agricultural science
• Regulatory science

Background:

• Plant biotechnology in Argentina emerged in the late 1980s, with public research groups and later private initiatives.
• Argentina established a robust genetically modified organisms (GMO) biosafety regulatory system in 1991.
• Since 1996, 59 GMO events have been approved, but only two were developed locally by public-private partnerships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the reasons behind the limited commercialization of locally developed transgenic events in Argentina.
• To identify institutional and researcher-related barriers hindering the progression of public research to market approval.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of institutional strategies and resource allocation for biotechnological product development.
• Evaluation of researchers' engagement with regulatory science and biosafety evaluations.
• Review of existing regulatory frameworks and their adaptation for research institutes.

Main Results:

• A lack of strategic vision in public institutions hinders resource focus on product development.
• Researchers often do not integrate regulatory science into their work, avoiding involvement in field trials and event evaluation.
• Despite regulatory progress for research institutes, a gap persists in translating lab-developed events to commercial approvals.

Conclusions:

• Commercialization of Argentine public plant biotechnology research is impeded by strategic planning deficits and insufficient integration of regulatory science.
• Strengthening regulatory affairs platforms and laboratory testing capabilities is recommended for the public scientific system.
• Fostering a culture that values regulatory science among researchers is essential for advancing biotechnological products.