StemCell Therapy

IT has been nearly two decades since the Philippine government approved the sale and cultivation of genetically modified (GM) corn seeds in local farms. The government issued a permit to commercialize Monsanto Philippiness bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn variety dubbed YieldGard on December 5, 2002. With this, the Philippines earned the distinction of being the first in Asia to commercialize Bt corn, a variety that enables corn farmers to save on production cost because they will no longer have to extensively use pesticides to kill the corn borera grain pest, particularly of corn.

Bt corn has been largely instrumental in increasing farmers production in the ensuing years following the issuance of the permit to Monsanto. The increment in output allowed the Philippines to become self-sufficient in corn (See, Yellow corn yield achieved 103 percent self-sufficiency last yearPiol, in the BusinessMirror, March 28, 2018). With the help of the biotech product, farmers were able to earn $642 million from 2003 to 2015, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications.

Its advantages and its potential to boost incomes have encouraged more farmers to plant the variety in recent years. The United States Department of Agricultures Foreign Agricultural Service in Manila noted that areas planted with Bt corn in the Philippines expanded by 26 percent to 834,617 hectares this year (See, Gain report: GE corn areas in PHL continue to expand, in the BusinessMirror, November 30, 2020). The availability of more yellow corna raw material used in manufacturing animal feedshas also supported the growing livestock and poultry industry.

These developments illustrate the benefits of biotechnology as well as its potential to enable the Philippines to develop other products that will allow farmers to diversify to other crops as well as cope with the ill effects of climate change. Currently, Bt corn is the only biotech product that is being planted in the Philippines. The GM varieties of other crops, like eggplant, are in various stages of development.

It is also worth noting that the Bt corn variety that was approved for commercialization in 2002 was made in the United States. The Philippines has yet to develop its own GM crop, and we urge Philippine researchers and scientists to make biotech products that are tailor fit to local conditions. Government must support these efforts by putting more money in the research initiatives of our local scientists or introduce policies, such as incentives, that will encourage the private sector to partner with them.

The recent successive typhoons that struck the Philippines should serve as a stark reminder of the increasing difficulties being faced by Filipino farmers and the pressing need for government to look for more sustainable means of ensuring food security. We welcome the Department of Agricultures (DA) pronouncement that it will optimize the use of biotechnology and other science-based solutions to increase farm output from limited farmlands and fishing grounds.

We urge Congress to support the DAs initiatives by passing the proposed Modern Biotechnology Act and by increasing the budget for agricultural research and development. Fully supported, our own scientists can harness the power of modern biotechnology.

Originally posted here:
Reaping the promise of biotechnology - Business Mirror

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