The Philippines is pushing for the establishment of international guidelines that will govern the import and export of genetically modified (GM) products.

Dr. Ernelea Cao, director of the National Sciences Research Institute (NSRI) at the University of the Philippines, said the Philippine government has been active in providing inputs in the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which is currently crafting guidelines that will govern international biotech trade.

Cao is a representative of the Philippines to the Codex ad hoc intergovernment task force on foods derived from biotechnology which is now in the middle of discussions on the proposed guidelines in Chiba, Japan. The Codex meeting will be held until Friday.

“We are very active in giving our inputs because we want to make sure that the country would be able to maximize the benefits from biotechnology trade in the future,” she said.

While the implementation of the proposed guidelines is voluntary, Cao said the guidelines will be a good reference point especially for countries that are keen on importing biotechnology products.

The proposed Codex guidelines will govern testing procedures, safety protocols and tolerance levels in place.

“With the Codex guidelines in place, we would be able to prevent the occurrence of ‘illegal events’ or contamination,” said Cao.

The CAC was created in 1963 by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization under the United Nations to develop food standards, guidelines and related texts.

Currently, the Philippines imports GM products such as soybeans. It has also allowed the commercial propagation of Bacillus thurigiensis (Bt) corn.

Paul Green, a consultant with the International Grain Trade Coalition, earlier said guidelines that will govern the international trade of GM products would help prevent food shortages caused by a number of factors, such as the rise in demand for biofuel.