Patrimônio genético e cultural, biotecnologia agrícola e sementes: a CTNBio e o conceito de “zona de autarquia”

Abstract

Protecting the integrity and diversity of Brazil's genetic and cultural heritage was the central subject of this work. And this heritage is undoubtedly included not only the seeds, especially creole (native) seeds as primordial regenerative units of biodiversity, as well as the associated traditional knowledge for a cultural expression of traditional peoples. This protection becomes urgent because the quality of the challenges in which are set the contemporary societies in the present scenario of high complexity in the field of agriculture. In the contemporary scene of reified technology, the specter of agriculture patrimonialization hangs over the safety of this genetic heritage. And what is even more disturbing about the safety of essential ecological processes, the foundation of life, in which the Republic Constitution wants to be preserved and restored - by the letter of item I of § 1 of article 225 - imposing this power of incumbency public to ensuring the fundamental right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment, in an intergenerational equity perspective. In the understanding of that technology - especially biotechnology - is not neutral, but value-loaded and the result of a historical process of the highest relevance, including some and excluding others, where security and food domination of the people is an essential component, this work wants to draw attention to the fact that under the cover of technological revolution, a supposedly neutral level can be hidden veiled the nature intention of appropriation in the profit behalf. But not only that: we also want to advert to the fact that the Brazilian state is failing in its responsibility to environmental protection, human and animal when it allows the breaking of the guard to the precautionary principle and rules of biosafety and also assessment and management risk when it comes to the subject of commercial release of genetically modified organisms - GMOs and their derivatives. The work accomplished this task by critical lens and empirical observation of technical reports launched in applications for commercial release of genetically modified organisms - GMOs members by scientists from the National Technical Biosafety Commission - CTNBio, currently the most important area in biosafety in Brazil. The examination of invigorating discursive rationality in this collegiality was facilitated by use and speech analysis tools, but above all, it was only possible by the use of relevant theoretical concept called the local authority area. Through this concept was possible to map - and reveal - arbitrary spaces inside the CTNBio, where democracy is deficient and gives way to discursive and operational alibis deprived of rational foundation.