THE battleground for a protracted war heats up as Department of Agriculture stood firm in its decision to allow science-based assessment and experiments of any genetically modified crop in the country despite vehement opposition by environmental groups—particularly Greenpeace. [...] Greenpeace has been urging Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala to scrap the experiments and field trials of Bt eggplants, arguing that the tests were being conducted only to determine the propriety of cultivating the vegetable under Philippine soil conditions and not to find out if it is safe for humans. [...] But two leading biotechnologists of the DA said that Greenpeace has exceeded its bounds by demanding that government scrap all field trials for Bt eggplant and imposing its thinking on 100 million Filipinos that any GM crop is “evil” and “subverts nature.”

“Fear mongering is easy to do,” said Dr. Frank Shotkoski, Director of the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSPII) based in Cornell University, describing a sustained campaign against crops that have been genetically altered to bring resistance to insects and environmental stress. [...] Shotkoski said sentiments against GM crops are driven by the desire to get more money out of well-meaning donations given to activist groups. “The money they get from donations associated with the anti-GM movement is huge,” Shotkoski said. “This is a multi-million business.” [...] He also pointed to the generic pesticides industry which he implied may be supporting anti-GM groups because many genetically-modified crops do not require the application of some pesticides.

Biotechnology, including genetically modified organisms, could help ensure food security for the country, according to the head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (DENR-ERDB). “The government recognized that modern biotechnology has great potential for human well-being if developed and used with adequate safety measures for the environment and human health,” Marcial Amaro Jr., ERDB national director, told reporters here on Tuesday.

Some European organizations are rightfully promoting the green revolution, but unfortunately launching worldwide campaigns against Genetically Modified plants or biotech crops. They always say No, No to biotech crops, claiming that they are a great threat to human health and cause environmental pollution. [...] Unfortunately, some national and local politicians have believed campaigns against biotech crops.

Scientists say they are limited to what they can do with rice unless they totally re-engineer its genetic structure. The main way to do this is boosting photosynthesis in rice, the scientific equivalent of bolting on a turbo-charger. A global project is trying to do just that, with the aim of genetically enhancing rice to double yields and become as productive as corn.

The North Cotabato provincial board has endorsed the field testing of the controversial Bacillus thuringiensis eggplant or Bt Talong but actual trial has yet to commence [...] Sought for comment, Rakim Tantung, Department of Agriculture-Southwestern Mindanao plant quarantine division chief, said they were not aware of such development, even as he assured that the field experiment has yet to start. ”We would know if the trial has commenced because the planting materials have to pass our office,” he told MindaNews.

A GLOBAL environmental group on Friday said the Philippines should emulate Thailand, which recently passed a policy discouraging the use of genetically-modified organisms in boosting rice production. The policy not only protects rice farmers and consumers, but also safeguards Thailand's thousands-year-old rice heritage from the inherent risks posed by genetically-engineered crops, Greenpeace Philippines said in a statement.

Raul Boncodin, Golden Rice Project Manager at IRRI, was very eager to answer the guests’ questions and explained that Golden Rice will only be released to farmers after the breeding work is completed and all appropriate biosafety and regulatory requirements have been met. esearch will be spearheaded by PhilRice and the plan is to submit all safety requirements to government regulators, which may be as early as 2013 in the Philippines and 2015 in Bangladesh.

The field testing of genetically modified eggplants at a state university in Kabacan town in North Cotabato could go full blast, the provincial board said in a resolution passed on Thursday. The resolution came after months of deliberation by board members on whether or not the field testing at the University of Southern Mindanao violated the provincial environment code. Although it did not ban the testing of genetically modified organisms, the provincial environment code stressed the ”precautionary principle” in genetic engineering.

Scientists may embark on a study on Bt cabbage here through a partnership with the Benguet State University, said [...] Department of Agriculture (DA) representative Candida Adalla [...] Adalla said if Bt products will be used, pesticide use will be minimal. [...] Health and environmental protection agencies still have not found any hazards related to the use of Bt.