www.checkbiotech.org ; www.raupp.info ; www.czu.cz

The issue of genetically modified rice has finally reached our shores, but
not without controversy. NGOs are now noisily blocking the bid of German
multinational company Bayer Crop Science to bring genetically modified rice,
which promises better yields, into the Philippines, March 2007 by Rey
Gamboa.

Bayer has applied to the Bureau of Plant Industry for the
commercialization of GMO rice LL62 for direct use in food, feed, and
processing in the Philippines. Its bid is currently being subjected to rigid
evaluation by the bureau?s scientific and technical review panel consisting
of renowned and independent group of scientists. Its recommendation will
have to be approved by the Agriculture Secretary.

Greenpeace, in particular, is leading the campaign to block Bayer?s bid. It
contends that the approval of GMO Bayer LL62, which was allowed in the US
for food and feed use, would be disastrous for the world?s food chain. While
already huffing and puffing in public, Greenpeace, an international NGO,
though still needs to submit a comprehensive dossier with concrete evidences
to totally discredit GMOs, and in particular, Bayer?s move to legalize LL62
for human consumption.

Earlier, Bayer got an approval for LL601, a similar variety to LL62, from
the US Department of Agriculture. Although its approval is still pending in
other countries including the Philippines, Greenpeace alleges that the
variety is already being sold openly in local supermarkets.

Contaminating the world food chain

Greenpeace asserted that Bayer?s LL601, a herbicide-resistant rice strain,
figured in a controversy last year when it was found to have contaminated
the world?s food chain. LL601 reputedly could wipe out wild and native
varieties of rice.

LL601 is also suspected to adversely impact on people?s health because of
glufosinate, a herbicide that had been observed to have caused adverse
health reactions in animals. Greenpeace likewise says that the herbicide
used in LL601 could poison beneficial soil micro-organisms.

The news supposedly elicited reactions from rice farmers and processors.
Bayer faced a class-action suit filed by US farmers, while Japan, the
European Union, and Russia responded with import restrictions. The incident
also prompted rice producers and exporters in the United States, the
European Union, and Asia to commit to GMO-free production and trade.

The allegations are pretty serious if substantiated. Unfortunately, going by
the track record of NGOs like Greenpeace, there is an urgent need to collate
pertinent documents and present these as evidence. Otherwise, these NGOs
could simply be unfair in science?s attempts to develop rice that has better
yields.

RP?s self-sufficiency target

On the other side of the fence, for a government obsessed in achieving
self-sufficiency in rice production, GM rice could be the technological
breakthrough that would provide the growing population of Filipinos with
enough rice.

Bayer, who I suppose is spending billions of dollars for research on new
rice seed technology, should act transparently and responsibly. Government,
on the other hand, should be thorough in its studies so that lives are not
endangered if it does allow commercialization of genetically modified rice.
The process of approving such application could take at least five years,
and government should wisely use the time to make sure this rice variety
will be safe.

Still, all this hoopla being made by anti-GMO advocates will do the country
and the world a lot of good in the long run. Multinational companies like
Bayer and Monsanto will be forced to exhaust all means to make sure that the
products they want put out in the market will be acceptable and safe. With
the financial muscle they have, they should not be thinking twice about
spending billions of dollars to ensure that farmers will buy their product,
and that the farmers? produce gets to the end-consumer.

Reality check

There is an opportunity for opposing parties to work together and come to an
understanding. The reality is that, with population boom worldwide and
dwindling areas for food production, agriculture scientists are in a race to
come up with new seed varieties that use up less water, fast-gestating and
high-yielding.

NGOs should be allowed to counter-check ongoing experiments and trial
productions. The government, on the other hand, could do its part by
ensuring that protocols are enforced rigidly. This will be the first time
ever for the country to be subjecting genetically modified rice to rigorous
testing, and it should thus make use of all available safety assessment
measures that are internationally accepted.

The government should also allow other companies to come in and participate.
This way, there will be competition and monopolies are avoided. Bayer and
Monsanto, after all, are not the only companies that can claim expertise in
bringing food to the world?s dining tables.

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