Preventing Resistance by Protecting Seeds in Latin America

Who:
Four partners have joined to deliver an insect resistance program for biotech seeds. These are:

  • ArgenBio – the Argentine Council for Information and Development of Biotechnology that contributes to understanding about biotechnology and its development
  • Asociacion Semilleros Argentonos (ASA) – an organization that represents the seed industry in Argentina
  • Canara de Sanidad Agropecuaria y Fertilizantes (CASAFE) – an association that represents the crop protection industry
  • CropLife International and its Insecticide Resistance Action Committee

Where:
In Argentina’s major corn growing regions.

What:
The insect resistance management initiative sought to increase communication capabilities within Argentina and provide stakeholders with resources to talk about resistance management. ArgenBio developed a website, a brochure and a Q&A as external tools and released five media articles to news sources. A social media campaign from September 2017 through March 2018 garnered engagement with key farmers and authorities with thousands of interactions on Facebook and Twitter. In addition to the online campaign, the partners set up nine training sessions for 1,000 farmers and other stakeholders.

Results:
The campaign and training helped to align recommendations and messaging from the agriculture industry. The efforts from the partnership also raised awareness among government authorities, the entire value chain, and academia about the problems and potential solutions surrounding resistance. The National Agricultural Technology Institute in Argentina will work with Aapresid, an association that promotes no-till farming and Aacrea, the Argentine Association of Regional Consortiums for Agricultural Experimentation, to promote refuge planting as a step to resistance management.

Next Steps:
ArgenBio, ASA, and CASAFE will continue training farmers and key stakeholders. The communication actions and campaigns from last year will in 2018, and the partners hope to maintain momentum on the strong advocacy for mandatory refuge planting from 2017. Development of a trivia game on IRM to be used in trade shows and trainings in rural areas is underway and the partners will continue to provide farmers and third-parties with effective communication tools.

Participants in the Insect Resistance Management initiative in Argentina