Biz groups urge government to prioritize support for biotech crops

MANILA, Philippines — Business groups are calling on the government to make providing support for biotechnology crops a priority as these can help achieve food security.

“Urgent times require urgent action.  We need a whole-of-government approach – the Executive, the Legislative and most crucial of all, the Judiciary – to work together in supporting biotechnology crops to solve food security that is causing malnutrition and child stunting across the country, thus endangering our future generation,” said a joint statement by the following groups: Foundation for Economic Freedom, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Philippines, American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc., Makati Business Club and Management Association of the Philippines.

The statement comes as the Court of Appeals issued a cease and desist order last month directing the University of the Philippines-Los Baños and the Philippine Rice Research Institute to stop the commercial propagation of Golden Rice and Bt Eggplant, citing potential risks to the environment and health.

The groups said biotechnology in food and agriculture has played an important role not just in helping feed the growing global population, but also in improving the livelihoods of farmers of such crops through higher productivity, reduced losses due to plant diseases, and improved health with less need for pesticides and herbicides.

At present, many of the country’s products are already relying on genetic engineering. 

The groups said 576,000 hectares of agricultural lands in the country or over 80 percent of corn-planted lands were planted with genetically engineered corn as of February last year.

Many of the products being sold at local groceries and supermarkets also have genetically engineered ingredients. 

“GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are currently planted on thousands of hectares of farmland.  The inability to tend to or sell these planted crops will mean thousands of tons of potentially wasted products,” the groups said.

In the case of rice, the group said the country cannot afford to have any wastage as a net importer of this staple food and with the El Niño phenomenon and extremely hot weather expected to reduce agricultural yield and productivity.

The country also relies on imports of various biotech commodities like corn and soybean, which are important for the the livestock and poultry industry. 

“Halting the importation of these commodities would materially affect these vital sectors, providing a major part of Filipinos’ daily protein requirements,” the groups said.