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Posted 04 June 2009
AGRI
EXPERTS WANT ANTI-GMO ORDINANCE REVISED
by
George M. de la Cruz
03-June-2009 Sun Star Bacolod
Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/agri-experts-want-anti-gmo-ordinance-revised
AGRICULTURE experts and scientists Tuesday unanimously
declared that genetically-modified organisms (GMO) are
safe for both humans and animals.
However, there is still a possibility that GMO could
still cause "risks" which Dr. Nina G. Gloriani
theorized would only be "on a very low level."
Gloriani opined that there is no exact definition for
"safe" but stressed that "anything that
has the affinity to thrive with ecology would always
adapt to it on a certain level and strength."
The group that presented scientific explanations and
features of GMO in Tuesday's seminar on biotechnology
and biosafety at the Business Inn, in Bacolod City,
recommended the need to modify or revise some provisions
of Provincial Ordinance 007-2007, which bans the entry
of GMO-infected agri products into the province.
But livestock, poultry raisers and grain growers, who
were present during the seminar, remained vehement in
opposing said ordinance. The provincial government,
through the ad hoc committee, is presently studying
possibilities whether to lift or not the ban it imposed
on GMO-infected corn feeds.
Provincial Board Members Patrick Lacson and Enrique
Miguel Lacson, who chair the committees on commerce,
trade and industry and on food security, respectively,
represented Gov. Isidro Zayco in Tuesday's seminar.
Dr. Randy A. Hautea, coordinator and director for Global
and SEAsia Center, International Service for the Acquisition
of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), opined that those
provisions, which are not consistent with its implementation
need to be revised or modified.
"To ban the entry of any agri-product believed
to be GMO-infected is not as fair to the farmers (considering)
the fact that the issue on GMO is not only exclusive
to agriculture but in ornamentals, food production,
among others, and those that has the affinity to biodiversity.
Ban per se is selective and in the case of Negros, appears
to have exclusivity, making some of the provisions of
the ordinance inconsistent, which actually needed to
be revised," Hautea said.
He noted that if agri products are to be banned, then
a ban on pesticides will also follow because it is as
well genetically-engineered and the farmers are the
group of people who would most likely suffer the consequence.
Findings on the studies conducted by the Department
of Agriculture (DA), also with the Pontifical Academy
for Sciences, proved that GMO is "praiseworthy
for improving the lives of the poor, especially the
farmers group."
"We don't allow, as a rule of law, neither tolerate
those that has a bad effect to biodiversity," said
Dr. Saturnina Halos, chair of the Department of Agriculture
Biotech Advisory Team.
Distinctions between a GM-positive and non-GM organisms
were also presented wherein those which are positive
were said to be more cost-effective, safe for human
consumption, and benefit human health, could help the
developing world, cut down on pesticide and herbicide
use, and help preserve natural habitats while those
which are negative could increase herbicide and pesticide
use, could damage non-GM farmers, have unpredictable
health risks, won't help feed the developed world, and
mainly benefits big biotechnology companies.
Non-GM corn is infested with corn borers and is contaminated
with bacteria and fungi. These fungi produce aflatoxins
which can cause or associated with liver cancer, the
presentation showed.
"This corn may have also been treated with chemical
pesticides but not protected against corn borer; and
farmers are exposed to chemical pesticides with ill-effects
on human health," Hautea said.
bic@searcaweb.org.
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