Brazil is one of the largest global producers of genetically modified crops and a center of origin and diversification of relevant species for agriculture and food. Transgenic monocultures occupy around 50 million hectares, whereas smallholder farmers, indigenous people, and traditional communities are responsible for in-situ/on-Farm conservation of local genetic resources. Based on 15 years of expertise in regulating GMOs and in cross-institutional agrobiodiversity conservation projects, this article discusses the challenges regarding the coexistence of these two agricultural models based on transgene flow detection in maize landraces. As part of a broad and unique participatory transgene-flow-monitoring process, 1098 samples of maize landraces were collected in the Brazilian Semi-arid Region between 2018 and 2021 and analyzed using immunochromatographic strips. The tests revealed 34% of samples with presence of GM proteins. It is concluded that the biosafety standards in force in Brazil do not allow the assurance of on-Farm conservation of maize. The sectors that contribute to agrobiodiversity conservation and do not benefit from using GM seeds are taking on the burden of this process. Transgene flow can be reduced by approving and enforcing more effective coexistence rules that consider maize landraces crop areas also as seed-producing areas added to full disclosure of commercial seeds origin.

O Brasil é um dos maiores produtores globais de cultivos geneticamente modificados e centro de origem e diversificação de espécies relevantes para a agricultura e a alimentação. As monoculturas transgênicas ocupam cerca de 50 milhões de hectares, enquanto agricultores familiares, povos indígenas e comunidades tradicionais respondem pela conservação in situ/on farm de recursos genéticos locais. Baseado na experiência de 15 anos de regulamentação dos OGMs e em projetos interinstitucionais de conservação da agrobiodiversidade, este artigo discute os desafios para a coexistência desses dois modelos de agricultura a partir da detecção de proteínas transgênicas em variedades crioulas de milho. Como parte de um amplo e inédito processo de monitoramento participativo de fluxo gênico, 1.098 amostras de milho crioulo foram coletadas no Semiárido brasileiro entre 2018 e 2021 e analisadas por meio de fitas imunocromatográficas. Os testes revelaram 34% de amostras com a presença de proteínas GM. Conclui-se que as normas de biossegurança vigentes no país não permitem assegurar a conservação on farm do milho. O ônus desse processo vem sendo assumido por setores que contribuem para a conservação da agrobiodiversidade e não se beneficiam da adoção de sementes GM. A contaminação transgênica pode ser reduzida pela implementação de regras de coexistência mais efetivas que considerem as áreas de cultivo de variedades crioulas de milho como áreas de produção de sementes, somada à ampla informação sobre a origem das sementes comerciais.

Objective – to identify central themes in the relationship between pesticides and cancer associated with rural areas, agriculture or agribusiness, through a Systematic Literature Review. Methodology – The research is exploratory, with a quantitative approach for bibliometric analysis and qualitative for the supervision of articles in the final corpus and the discussion of central themes. Results - The analysis of corpus indicators demonstrated that the topic can be considered recent and with a tendency to grow. The coupling bibliographic of the corpus, using the VOSviewer software, showed low quantitative and intensity connections. The thematic map highlights emerging central themes about “breast cancer”, “childhood cancer” and “nervous system”, niche themes such as “DNA damage”, basic themes about “environmental protection” and motors, “health study”, “risk of cancer” and “exposure to pesticides”. Methodological contributions – Identification of themes with reduced bias by centrality and density statistics, which may represent advances in knowledge. Social and environmental contributions – The discussion of the central themes points to the approach of research techniques such as biomarkers and evidence mapping, exposure to pesticides associated with other areas, such as gardens, parks, urban areas, which can cause damage to health beyond the cancer, such as lung and coronary diseases, DNA damage, reporting strategies to reduce these risks through the use of PPE, distance from homes to places that use pesticides, training of farmers. However, these measures seem insufficient, as State regulation allows the use of pesticides within certain limits, generally exceeded, which contributes to damage to health and the environment.