Print this news Philippines POLICY STATEMENT ON BIOTECH ISSUED by Melody M. Aguiba 30-Jul-2001 Manila Bulletin   President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has approved a policy statement on biotechnology that seeks not only to promote research and development on genetically modified (GM) crops in the government's aim to increase agricultural productivity but also to ensure safety and protection to human and the environment. In a memorandum, Executive Secretary Alberto G. Romulo said that Arroyo had agreed to issuing the policy which acknowledges that biotechnology can be a means to "sustain food security, provide equitable access to health services, develop industries, and still preserve the environment." The government had found the need to establish a policy statement on biotechnology since various groups have declared opposing opinions on the use of biotechnology.  The policy is expected to draw the line between the promotion of biotechnology and the caution against its devastating effect to man and nature.  Non-government organizations including environment-conscious groups as Mother Earth, Masipag, Green Peace, and the Philippine Peasant Institute have been earlier opposing field testings on GM foods on their claim against its adverse effects to health and environment. Concrete data show, however, that GM crops have been useful in substantially increasing farm yield as a total of 44.2 million hectares (M/ha) of land in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Denmark, European Union, Japan, Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States are already devoted to GM foods.  GM foods there include herbicide-tolerant soybean, 25.8 M/ha; Bt (bacillus thuringiensis) corn, 6.8 M/ha; herbicide-tolerant canola, 2.8 M/ha; herbicide-tolerant corn, 2.1 M/ha; herbicide-tolerant cotton, 1.7 M/ha; and Bt cotton, 1.5 M/ha. Concerns about the ill effects of GM crops have come up  as there were earlier reports that efforts to kill harmful pests may also kill useful insects or nontarget organisms in the process of developing the crops.  For one, the insect-resistant Bt corn was said to have adverse effect on the propagation of Monarch butterfly larvae.  Scientists, however, answered the fears against the effects of the development of GM crops. "Our study was conducted in the laboratory and while it raises an important issue, it would be inappropriate to draw any conclusions about the risk to Monarch (butterfly) populations in the field solely on these initial results," scientists said. According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agribiotech Applications, questions that must be answered in the development of GM crops are: "Does the GM food have a traditional counterpart that has a history of safe use; has the concentration of any naturally occurring toxins or allergens in the food changed; have the levels of key nutrients changed?  Do new substances in the FM food have a history of safe use?  has the food's digestibility been affected?  Has the food been produced using accepted, established procedures?" (MB) View the Policy Statement Print this news SEAMEO SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center http://www.bic.searca.org		Policy statement on biotech issued       Isabela farmers oppose field testing of Bt corn       More news...