Biotechnology and the Government

BIOTECHNOLOGY AND THE GOVERNMENT

Report by: Group 5

TRY TO REFLECT ON THIS…

•Trade groups ask gov’t to continue with Bt eggplant•Amid a ban on government-sponsored field trial for Bt talong or genetically-modified (GM) eggplant in the country, the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) has urged the Philippine government to continue the development of GM crops.


• The JFC, which represents the American Chamber of Commerce, Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, European Chamber of Commerce, Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Korean Chamber of Commerce, and the Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters, said GM foods are an answer to food shortage and malnutrition.


• Globally, agricultural biotechnology, particularly GM crop technology, has been accepted as a means to ensure food security, the group said.• “It has gained much acceptance in adoption. Biotech crop area increased by an unprecedented 100-fold, from 1.7 million hectares in 1996, to 170 million hectares in 2012. While 28 countries planted biotech crops in 2012, an additional 31 countries have granted regulatory approvals for biotech crops for import, food and feed use since 1996,” it explained.


• A writ of kalikasan that has been issued by the Court of Appeals (CA) against Bt eggplant’s development is “contrary to the aim to raise food security.”• “Biotechnology offers sustainable and cost-efficient solutions to attain long-term food security and better nutrition. The JFC believes the CA decision against the Bt eggplant is a major setback to the advancement of research and development, particularly modern biotechnology, critical in addressing hunger, better nutrition and access to food,” JFC said.


• The writ has been created to protect the environment from activities that destroy it. “But Bt eggplant’s research is under strict government monitoring,” it pointed out.• “The writ of kalikasan is a legal remedy to pursue cases

that involve possible damage to the environment. The Bt eggplant is undergoing research for commercial use by the Philippine scientific community under strict monitoring and supervision of proper government regulatory agencies,” JFC said.


• It further noted that the writ of kalikasan “reverses previous efforts by the Philippines to advance agricultural modernization.”• JFC stressed that the country is “recognized by

international agricultural experts as a leader in the safe adoption of crop biotechnology.”• “Its bio-safety regulatory system follows strict scientific

standards and has become a model for member-countries of the ASEAN seeking to become producers of biotechnology crops,” it said

•The Philippines is the first ASEAN country to initiate a biotechnology regulatory system with the issuance of Executive Order No. 430 in 1990, which established the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP).

•The countries biosafety regulatory system follows strict scientific standards and has become a model for member-countries of the ASEAN seeking to become producers of agricultural biotechnology crops.

WHAT DOES NCBP STAND FOR?

•NCBP stands for the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines, the country’s lead regulatory agency tasked with the formulation and implementation of biosafety policies and the monitoring of research activities and experiments being conducted on LMOs

WHY WAS IT ESTABLISHED?

• In the 1990’s, when new methods of genetic manipulation in plants, microorganisms and animals were continuously being developed, the Philippine government saw the need for the establishment of a body that would aid the country in harnessing the benefits of biotechnology while at the same ensuring its safe and responsible application.

WHEN WAS IT ESTABLISHED?

• In the 1990’s, when new methods of genetic manipulation in plants, microorganisms and animals were continuously being developed, the Philippine government saw the need for the establishment of a body that would aid the country in harnessing the benefits of biotechnology while at the same ensuring its safe and responsible application.

•On March 2006, the function and scope of the Committee was further broadened and strengthened through President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s issuance of Executive Order No. 514 which decreed the establishment and implementation of a National Biosafety Framework. This was initiated for the following reasons:

•a. Rapid expansion of the use of modern biotechnology;•b. Growing concern over modern biotechnology’s potential impacts on the environment, human health as well as on social and cultural well-being;

•c. Promote the safe and responsible use of modern biotechnology and its products as one of the several means to achieve and sustain food security, equitable access to health services, sustainable and safe environment and industry development;

•d. Enhance the existing biosafety framework to better respond to the challenges presented by further advances in modern biotechnology and to comply with the administrative requirements of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS AD POWERS OF NCPB?

•Biosafety policy functions•Accountability functions•Scientific functions•Capacity building functions

WHAT IS THE CARTAGENA BIOSAFETY PROTOCOL?

•The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is an international agreement on biosafety, as a supplement to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Biosafety Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by genetically modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology.

WHAT IS IRRI?

• The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is an international independent research and training organization with headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna in the Philippines and offices in sixteen countries. The non-governmental organization (NGO) was established in 1960 to develop new rice varieties and rice crop management techniques with finding sustainable ways to improve the well-being of poor rice farmers and consumers as well as the environment in mind.

WHAT IS PCAARRD?

• The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) is a council of the Department of Science and Technology of the Philippines government.

• The council aims to help national research and development efforts in agriculture, forestry, and natural resources of the Philippines. It does so by assisting with planning strategies, formulating policies, and programs for development. It is the body responsible nationally for programming and allocating government and external funds for R&D, and monitors and evaluates these programs for effectiveness.

WHAT IS FDA?

•The Food and Drug Administration of the or FDA, formerly the Bureau of Food and Drugs or BFAD) was created under the Department of Health to license, monitor, and regulate the flow of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, and household hazardous waste in the Philippines.

REGULATION OF THE RELEASE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

•Governments have taken different approaches to assess and manage the risks associated with the use of genetic engineering technology and the development and release of genetically modified organisms (GMO), including genetically modified crops and genetically modified fish. There are differences in the regulation of GMOs between countries, with some of the most marked differences occurring between the USA and Europe. Regulation varies in a given country depending on the intended use of the products of the genetic engineering. For example, a crop not intended for food use is generally not reviewed by authorities responsible for food safety.


•One of the key issues concerning regulators is whether GM products should be labeled. Labeling can be mandatory up to a threshold GM content level (which varies between countries) or voluntary. A study investigating voluntary labeling in South Africa found that 31% of products labeled as GMO-free had a GM content above 1.0%. In Canada and the USA labeling of GM food is voluntary, while in Europe all food (including processed food) or feed which contains greater than 0.9% of approved GMOs must be labelled.


•There is broad scientific consensus that food on the market derived from GM crops poses no greater risk than conventional food. There is no evidence to support the idea that the consumption of approved GM food has a detrimental effect on human health. Some scientists and advocacy groups, such as Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund, have however called for additional and more rigorous testing for GM food.

BIOTECHNOLOGY IN ASIA

• India and China are the two largest producers of genetically modified products in Asia. India currently only grows GM cotton, while China produces GM varieties of cotton, poplar, petunia, tomato, papaya and sweet pepper. Cost of enforcement of regulations in India are generally higher, possibly due to the greater influence farmers and small seed firms have on policy makers, while the enforcement of regulations was more effective in China. Other Asian countries that grew GM crops in 2011 were Pakistan, the Philippines and Myanmar. Japan requires labeling so consumers can exercise choice between foods that have genetically modified, conventional or organic origins.