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A multidisciplinary approach directed towards the commercial release of transgenic herbicide-tolerant rice in Costa Rica

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Abstract

This review discusses a multidisciplinary and multicomponent approach leading to the development and commercial release of transgenic Costa Rican rice varieties tolerant to the herbicide gluphosinate ammonium. We describe the field evaluations of the transgenic lines and their potential environmental impact, focusing on gene flow, particularly in relation to native wild Oryza species and weedy rice, based on trials performed in compliance with the national regulatory requirements of the country. We also present a socio-economic analysis of rice production in Costa Rica and the economic benefits of genetically modified (GM) rice as well as an environmental risk-benefit analysis for the deployment of GM rice. Additionally, food safety evaluation, intellectual property management, requirements for deregulation, and options for the commercialization of the new varieties are discussed. We also present results from a national survey aimed at assessing the level of support for GM crops in Costa Rica as this forms an integral component of our approach. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the adoption of these genetically improved rice varieties will provide clear benefits to Costa Rican rice growers and consumers.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the Rockefeller Foundation (01-02-CT), the Foundation for Cooperation Costa Rica-United States of America (CR.USA), the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ and GTZ Germany) and the Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Cali, Colombia project “Gene flow Analysis for assessing the Safety of Bio-engineered crops in the tropics (No. 99.7860.2-001.00).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular (CIBCM), Ciudad de la Investigación, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica

    Ana M. Espinoza-Esquivel & Griselda Arrieta-Espinoza

  2. Escuela de Agronomía, Facultad de Ciencias Agroalimentarias, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica

    Ana M. Espinoza-Esquivel

Authors
  1. Ana M. Espinoza-Esquivel
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  2. Griselda Arrieta-Espinoza
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Correspondence to Ana M. Espinoza-Esquivel.

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Espinoza-Esquivel, A.M., Arrieta-Espinoza, G. A multidisciplinary approach directed towards the commercial release of transgenic herbicide-tolerant rice in Costa Rica. Transgenic Res 16, 541–555 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-007-9068-0

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