Biotech crops can reduce CO2 emissions

MANILA, Philippines - Biotechnology or genetically modified (GM) crops can considerably help minimize vehicle-generated outdoor pollution.

The use of such crops can significantly help reduce greenhouse gases and mitigate climate change, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA).

United States-based ISAAA is a non-profit organization with a network of regional centers across the globe that contribute to the alleviation of hunger and poverty by sharing knowledge and crop biotechnology applications. The network includes a Southeast Asian center based in Los Baños, Laguna.

Biotech of GM crops can help bring about a cleaner environment in two ways, ISAAA founding director and chair Dr. Clive James pointed out.

First, he said, permanent savings in carbon dioxide (CO₂) omissions could be realized through use of biofuels derived from GM crops, thus reducing consumption of fossil-based fuels associated with insecticide and herbicide sprays.

“This is equivalent to reducing the number of cars on the road by 0.8 million,” Dr. James stressed.

Second, the scientist said, additional savings could be realized from conservation tillage, or need for less or no plowing facilitated by herbicide tolerant crops for biotech food, feed, and fiber products.

ISAAA statistical data shows in 2010 that this practice led to an additional soil carbon sequestration equivalent to 17.6 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide, “or removing 7.9 million cars off the road.”

“Thus in 2010, the combined permanent and additional savings through sequestration was equivalent to a saving of 19 billion kg of CO₂ or removing nine million cars from the road,” Dr. James stressed.

The ISAAA official discussed “Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2011” at the 2012 special seminar on biotechnology held recently at Hyatt Hotel in Manila.

The Philippine edition of the worldwide annual seminar was co-organized by ISAAA, National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), the Los Baños-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), and Biotechnology Media Advocacy Resource Center (BMARC).

Other seminar speakers were Agriculture Undersecretary Segfredo Serrano, who spoke on “A Decade of Biotech Commercialization in the Philippines”, former University of the Philippines president and now NAST president Dr. Emil Q. Javier; SEARCA director Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit,; Jr. Dr. Randy Hautea; ISAAA global coordinator; Dr. Rhodora Aldemita, also of ISAAA, and Isabela provincial agriculture officer Danilo Tuamao.

Dr. James reported that in 2011, about 16.7 million farmers in 29 countries planted biotech crops (maize, soybeans, cotton, canola, sugarbeet, papaya, squash, tomato, sweet pepper, potato, alfalfa, and poplar) in 160 million hectares. Of the 29 countries, 17 devoted more than 50,000 ha each to GM crops, making them “biotech mega-countries”.

The US has remained the top biotech crop planter, devoting 66.8 million ha to eight crops, dominated by maize and soybeans.

The Philippines ranked 13th among the “mega-countries”, devoting 545,000 ha to Bt (Bacilus thuringiensis) corn in 2011. Last year, about 322,000 Filipino farmers planted Bt corn, up significantly from the 270,000 who planted the GM crop in 411,000 ha in 2010.

The other “biotech mega-countries” are Brazil, Argentina, India, Canada, China, Paraguay, Pakistan, South Africa, Uruguay, Bolivia, Australia, Myanmar, Burkina Paso, Spain, and Mexico.

A previous ISAAA report indicated that the US is also the top producer of biotech crop intended for biofuel, mainly ethanol from maize, with some biodiesel from oil crops.

“It is estimated that production from 29 percent of the total maize area in the USA in 2008 was used for ethanol,” ISAAA stated. Accordingly, about 8.7 million ha of biotech maize was devoted to ethanol production in 2008, up from seven million in 2008.

“In total,” ISAAA said, “12.2 million hectares of biotech crops were used for biofuel production in the USA in 2008. This was a big increase from the 0.4 million ha of biotech crops from biofuels in 2007.”

Brazil, the second biggest “biotech mega-country”, planted 17.8 million ha to soybeans, maize, and cotton in 2008, soaring to 30.3 million ha in 2011. In 2007, Brazil planted 750,000 ha to biotech soybeans for use in biodiesel production.

Other countries have also been participating in the GM biofuel revolution.

Summing up, ISAAA stressed that while biofuel strategies must be developed ,security should always be assigned the first priority.