Latin America News Digest via Agnet Feb. 22/05

The Justice Court of Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul was cited as overruling in the week ended February 20, 2005 an injunction exempting the Triticola Mista Campo Novo co-operative from paying royalties to U.S. biotechnology firm Monsanto for the use of its genetically modified (GM) soy seeds.

The story says that as a result Monsanto, which owns the global licence on GM soy seeds, won its first judicial dispute in Brazil after planting of transgenic soy was allowed last year in Latin America's biggest country and major global soy supplier.