Commercial Office - Consulate General of Argentina in New York
Phone: +1 212 603 0401
Fax: +1 212 541 7746
Web site: www.congenargentinany.com
Contact: Alejandro Poffo
E-mail: cnyor@yahoo.com
Argentina covers 3,761,274 (km2), with an estimated population of 40 million. Literacy reaches rates of 96.2% and the life expectancy is 72.3 years. In 2005 the GDP was US$ 183.66 billion. In the same year, Argentina exported goods totaling US$ 40.1 billion, and imported US$ 28.7 billion. The government system is republican, representative and federal. Regarding higher education, Argentina has 30 national universities and 34 private ones.
Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay subscribed the Asunción Treaty, creating the Mercado Común del Sur (MERCOSUR), which facilitates the free trade of goods and services and the coordination of macroeconomic policies among these countries.
The public support system for science and technology falls under the Secretariat of Science and Technology (SECYT), within the Ministry of Science and Public Education. This Secretariat oversees the following two organizations: the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) and the National Agency for the Promotion of Science and Technology (ANPCYT).
ANPCYT finances research, development and innovation activities. Resources come from national budget contributions and IDB credits. It operates through the Scientific and Technological Research Fund (FONCYT) and Argentine Technological Fund (FONTAR). In 2002 the FONCYT financed 107 projects for the amount of US$ 6.3 million. So far, FONTAR furnished US$ 9.6 million in projects to improve the productivity of 20 companies.
Biotechnology Applications
Biotechnology’s application has largely impacted on the pharmaceutical sector, where the long tradition of biomedicine and the active national industry combine. Local pharma controls almost 50% of the market. Four per cent of total annual sales (U$S 2 billion) correspond to biotech products, protected by Argentine patent law. Locally produced biopharmaceuticals include human insulin, interferons, erythropoietin, colony stimulating factors and growth hormone.
Argentina was the first country in the world to obtain genetically modified cows capable of excreting in their milk human growth hormone. Gene therapy has also developed in the country, in oncology and revascularization (arteriolar growth in severe coronary artery disease). In the human diagnostics sector, detection kits including biotech-derived markers and monoclonal antibodies have been designed locally for infectious diseases such as Chagas, Cholera, Hepatitis B and C, and AIDS.
The veterinary vaccine industry has evolved from mass cell culture towards the development of antigens produced by recombinant DNA technology, resulting in a US$ 53 million annual market. The production of antiparasiticals and biologicals, as well as growth promoters represents an annual market of US$ 52 million market. Annual production of 168 million doses of foot and mouth disease vaccines –meeting quality and biosafety international standards – covers the domestic and Latin American requirements.
A proper regulatory environment, development promotion policies and biotechnology application for the past ten years have turned Argentina into the world’s second largest producer of GMOs, after the United States. In 2004, Argentina exported GM crops for US$ 6 billion. These events included varieties tolerant to herbicides and insect resistant, resulting in a US$ 500 million savings by cutting expenses on chemical products.
CONABIA, the state regulatory entity for agro biotech created in 1992, has evaluated and authorized over 400 field essays for 100 different transformation events. Government entities such as the National Institute of Agro-technology (INTA) and some privately owned enterprises have successfully transformed plant varieties (especially potatoes resistant to herbicide and viruses), which are pending official approval.
Argentina exports 4 million tons of vegetal oil and 15.9 million tons of protein flour produced by 24 companies, thus becoming the first worldwide oil exporter of vegetal origin. The potential market of inoculants is close to US$ 18 million supplied by more than 30 companies.
The Foro Argentino de Biotecnología (FAB) is a non-profit foundation representing the most outstanding biotechnology companies, focusing on the promotion of biotechnology throughout the country. FAB brings together the business and scientific communities with the local government to jointly develop strategies and policies.
The active involvement of FAB, working closely together with the government with the aim to create new strategies and policies for improving technology, made it possible to prepare a bill, which is now under consideration by the Executive to promote and encourage the expansion of the biotechnology industry.
Biotechnology in Agriculture
In the agricultural area and specifically vegetable reproduction, biotechnology is applied to vegetable micro-propagation and production of transgenic seeds. In this last field, most of the companies are large and have extensive knowledge of genetics and the technologies used to apply to vegetable species. Small and Medium Enterprises are mostly focused on developing varieties that adjust to the country’s agricultural system, which generates in many uses a vertical integration with the above mentioned companies.
Law of Promotion of Biotechnology
The Law of Promotion of Modern Biotechnology is in the course of being sanctioned at the Congress of Argentina. It includes a series of measures oriented towards the promotion of research and development projects, as well as production plans of biotechnology firms to facilitate the technological transfer from the innovation stage to the marketing of products and services.