US offers to help RP push biotech

The United States expressed its willingness to help the Philippines propagate and commercialize biotech crops and products.

David Miller, agricultural counselor of the US Embassy in Manila said in a recent food safety seminar that the US is now focused on helping developing nations become "self-reliant and prosperous" in the field of agricultural biotechnology.

Miller said US assistance would primarily center on helping local authorities persuade the public to accept biotech products through enforcement of bio-safety rules and guidelines to ensure that the technology is safe for human consumption and harmless to the environment.

"The US government has always been transparent in making information on biotechnology tests and field trials available to the public. This process allows us to gain public trust by making them direct policy participants to ensure that the process is safe," said Miller.

Dr. James Maryanski, biotechnology coordinator for the Center for Food safety and Applied Nutrition at the US Food and Drug Administration said the USFDA is implementing strict regulatory guidelines to ensure food and medicine derived from biotechnology "are safe to the miniscule."

Maryanski urged Philippine agricultural experts and scientists to join the international community in formulating and harmonizing food standards. He said the Philippines should use the Codex Alimentarius guidelines in ensuring the safety of biotech products in the country.

The Codex Alimentarius created by the United Nations‚ Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, is the global reference for consumer food products and processors, national food control agencies and the international food trade.

The Philippine government is encouraging a wider adoption of biotech crops to increase food production. Recently, it joined the ranks of "biotech mega-countries" on only on its second year of commercial production of biotech crops and is seen to further expand its hectarage devoted to planting genetically-modified (GM) crops in the next few years.

The Philippines earned the status of biotech mega-country last year and became the first country in Asia to achieve this status with a major biotech food/feed crop.

The Philippines planted close to 55,000 hectares of Bt-corn last year, mostly in major corn-producing regions such as Isabela and Cagayan Valley in Northern Luzon and in South Cotabato in Mindanao. This was a big leap from 20,000 hectares in 2003. In 2005, the area planted to the pest resistant Bt-corn is projected to reach 100,000 hectares.

By 2007, GM papaya will be available for commercialization in the Philippines. Moreover, the Cotton Development Authority will begin testing the commercial viability of producing Bt cotton in its bid to increase local production and save on costly imports. The country currently imports 95 percent of its cotton requirements.

The Philippines’ biotech mega-country status was confirmed by Clive James, chairman and founder of the biotech advocate group, the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA). A country is elevated to a biotech mega country status if it grows at least 50,000 hectares or more of biotech crops.

There are now 14 biotech mega countries with the addition of Paraguay, Mexico, Spain and the Philippines. The other countries are the US, accounting for 59 percent of global total of biotech crop area, Argentina - 20 percent, Canada - 6 percent, Brazil - 6 percent, China - 5 percent, Paraguay - 2 percent, India - one percent and South Africa - one percent.

In the Philippines, two companies have pioneered in selling Bt-corn, Monsanto Philippines and Pioneer Hi-bred Philippines. This year, another multinational company, Syngenta Philippines is also expected to start its commercial production of Bt-corn seeds for distribution to local corn farmers.