Neocrop obtains “green light” for the first CRISPR-edited wheat in Argentina
CONABIA approved as “NON-GMO” a genetically edited high-fiber wheat developed by Neocrop Technologies, in partnership with the seed companies Buck Semillas and Campex Baer. This represents the first positive response for an edited wheat in Argentina, and adds to the regulatory milestone achieved in Chile — the first in the Americas— last July for the same development. With this decision, Latin America positions itself at the forefront of ag-biotech innovation, with an impact on public health and agricultural competitiveness.
Valdivia, September 21, 2025. — The National Advisory Commission on Agricultural Biotechnology (CONABIA), Argentina’s regulatory body for agricultural biotechnology, declared that advanced lines of genetically edited wheat developed by Neocrop Technologies in partnership with seed companies Buck Semillas (Argentina) and Campex Baer (Chile), with high fiber content (amylose), are not considered genetically modified organisms (non-GMOs). With this decision, the lines are excluded from the regulations applicable to GM crops, opening the way for their commercial validation in Argentina as would be the case for any conventional wheat.
A regulatory milestone for Argentina and the region
This resolution marks an unprecedented event: it is the first edited wheat to obtain a positive response from CONABIA in Argentina, and follows the milestone reached at the end of July in Chile, when the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) granted Neocrop the first positive regulatory response for a CRISPR-edited wheat in the Americas (and the second in the world).
“With this new decision, the region takes a historic step in the adoption of gene editing tools. Having achieved the first edited wheat with a positive regulatory response in Chile and now in Argentina reinforces our conviction that Latin America can lead global agricultural innovation,” said Daniel Norero, Co-founder & Head of Business at Neocrop Technologies.
“The approval in Argentina of the wheat developed by Neocrop Technologies through CRISPR gene editing marks a historic milestone for national and regional agriculture. This decision places the country at the forefront of ag-biotech innovation, consolidating its leadership in the use of next-generation tools to face the productive, environmental, and nutritional challenges of the 21st century,” said Carlos Becco, advisor to Neocrop Technologies and a prominent expert in agribusiness and AgTech.
“With this decision, CONABIA sets a key precedent that will benefit both producers and consumers, and that consolidates the region as a global benchmark in building a more innovative, sustainable, and resilient agriculture,” added Becco.
Sowing well-being: high-fiber wheat key to public health
Currently, scientific societies and international medical guidelines recommend a minimum daily intake of 25 grams of dietary fiber due to its proven benefits for digestive health, regulation of glucose and cholesterol, and prevention of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
However, as in Chile, fiber consumption levels in Argentina are deficient: in 2019 the country showed the lowest dietary fiber intake among a panel of eight countries in Latin America, with barely 11 grams per day (on average). This problem is even more critical in Argentina’s urban areas, where average intake does not exceed 5 to 6 grams per day, according to a 2022 study.
At the same time, both countries lead the region in bread consumption and products made with refined flours, presenting a significant opportunity to address a nutritional challenge, such as low fiber intake, through a mass-consumption product like flour.
The industry has attempted to respond to this nutritional gap with flours enriched with starch from other plants, or with added wheat fiber. However, in the first case, baking and sensory quality are often negatively affected, and in both cases, production costs increase. On the other hand, whole-grain flours, which have 1–3 times higher fiber levels, are not widely accepted among consumers, due to factors such as taste, texture, consumption habits, and higher price.
To address this problem with a pragmatic solution, “Neocrop and Buck Semillas aim to develop commercial wheat lines with 5 to 10 times more fiber, which would make it possible to produce white flours with greater nutritional benefit than whole-grain flours, helping to close the low fiber-intake gap in the Southern Cone through foods as common as bread, pastries, and other foods traditionally made with white wheat flour,” said Daniel Norero.
“The introduction of this high-fiber wheat into the production system opens a unique opportunity to improve consumer health, while boosting the competitiveness of the wheat value chain with differentiated, higher-value products,” added Carlos Becco.
Gene-edited wheat, non-GMO
Working with a crop such as bread wheat —which provides about 20% of the daily calories and proteins consumed worldwide— represents a considerable technical challenge due to the complexity of its genome: it is five times larger than human genome, and each gene has three copies with their respective alleles, which makes conventional breeding through random crossing and selection difficult.
“Although wheat is one of the most consumed foods in the world, the adoption of new breeding technologies (NBTs) has lagged in this crop due to the complexity of its genome. To get an idea of the wheat genome, if it were printed double-sided on letter-sized sheets in Arial 12 font and stacked, it would reach the height of a tower like the Costanera Center [the tallest building in Chile and Latin America, 300 meters high],” explained Dr. Francisca Castillo, Co-founder, CEO, and Chief Scientific Officer of Neocrop Technologies.
Conventional breeding programs, which rely on multiple generations of crossings or induction of mutations by chemical or radioactive agents, and selections, take 12 to 15 years. “Today there is a biotech tool called CRISPR, which works like ‘molecular scissors’ capable of making small adjustments in the plant’s DNA. At Neocrop, we apply this technique in our Neotrait Engine® platform, where our value lies in the ability to select the specific genes that should be improved to enhance key traits such as nutrition,” explained Dr. Castillo.
“In addition, we perform these edits directly in elite varieties selected by our partners, including Buck Semillas. The result is a final product without the incorporation of external genes, that is, non-GMO, which allows us to move more quickly toward improved varieties ready for the field,” she added.
It is important to emphasize this last point, since Neocrop’s wheat was developed on advanced elite lines from Buck Semillas and Campex Baer through the silencing of specific genes; no foreign genes were added in the final product.
Strategic alliance between Neocrop Technologies and Buck Semillas
Buck Semillas has been a key strategic partner of Neocrop Technologies in the development of high-fiber wheat. Since Neocrop’s early days, the Argentine company has committed to joining this initiative through a co-development model, contributing high-quality advanced elite lines that laid the groundwork for achieving this regulatory milestone.
On this partnership, Dr. Diana Martino, Research Manager at Buck Semillas, highlighted:
“Our relationship with Neocrop Technologies began at its foundation, and since then we have known that together we would walk a path full of opportunities. Working with Neocrop has allowed us to incorporate cutting-edge technological techniques into the development process of our crop varieties. Thanks to this alliance with Neocrop, we are consolidating ourselves as pioneers in genetically edited wheat innovation in the Southern Cone.”
Dr. Martino also emphasized the impact this advance can have on nutrition and the industry:
“High-fiber wheat makes it possible to achieve a healthier product for human nutrition. It is a product that allows us to expand our portfolio of varieties with cultivars of differentiated quality.”
This alliance confirms the importance of collaboration between biotech startups and traditional seed companies to accelerate the arrival of next-generation crops, capable of addressing both production challenges and the growing nutritional demands of consumers.
Next steps
Neocrop Technologies has already begun the first field trials this season (2025–2026) in Chile, and Argentina will join in the next season, which will allow validation of the agronomic performance of the new lines under real production conditions and accelerate seed multiplication.
At the same time, the food industry has shown strong interest in this development: a Latin American multinational has already confirmed its interest in participating in pilots to incorporate high-fiber flour into bakery and industrial products. In parallel, Neocrop is in discussions with milling chain stakeholders in Chile and Argentina, with the goal of ensuring the necessary grain multiplication to supply the first commercial scale-ups.
Finally, the roadmap includes advancing with subsequent regulatory consultations in strategic markets such as Brazil and North America, thus consolidating the international projection of this innovative wheat and reaffirming Neocrop’s regional leadership in gene editing applied to agriculture.
About the Partners
Neocrop Technologies is a biotechnology company that is transforming the Latin American agri-food industry through precision gene editing. Based in Valdivia, Chile, it applies its Neotrait Engine® platform, which accelerates in record time the breeding of crops adapted to urgent agronomic and climatic challenges, as well as enhancing nutritional value. In partnership with seed companies, food producers, and research institutions, Neocrop helps deliver superior varieties in less time, addressing the demands of productivity, nutrition, and sustainability. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Valdivia, Chile, Neocrop is committed to a more competitive, sustainable, and beneficial agri-food industry for producers, consumers, and the planet. For more information, visit www.neocroptech.com.
Buck Semillas is an Argentine company with more than 80 years of experience dedicated to the development, production, and commercialization of high-quality seeds for agriculture. Headquartered in La Dulce, Necochea, and with presence throughout the country, the company combines genetic innovation, applied plant breeding technology, and deep knowledge of the Argentine countryside. Buck Semillas specializes in wheat, oats, barley, and sunflower, offering hybrids and varieties adapted to different productive regions, with a focus on yield, health, and stability. Its commitment to producers translates into constant research, specialized technical support, and an efficient distribution network. With its sights set on the future, Buck is committed to sustainable agriculture and to continuing to grow alongside Argentine farmers. For more information, visit https://www.semillasbuck.com.ar/.
