Searice urges DA to review GMO rice-evaluation process

Businessmirror November 16, 2007
By Jennifer A. Ng Reporter

THE Southeast Asia Regional Initiative for Community Empowerment
(Searice) is urging the Department of Agriculture (DA) to make its
evaluation process for a genetically modified (GM) rice variant "more
transparent."

Searice also called on the DA to reject Bayer Philippines' application
to commercially distribute its GM rice variant Liberty Link 62 (LL62).

"Allowing the importation of this GM rice requires transparency and
public knowledge as rice is the Filipinos' staple food," said Socrates
Lugasip, technical officer of Searice.

"The people need to know the reasons behind the government's rush to
allow this while this has not been grown commercially elsewhere, no
history of safe consumption by humans, much less by a population that
eats rice three times a day, whole-year round," Lugasip said.

The international nongovernment organization also posed serious
questions on the independence of the Scientific and Technical Review
Panel (STRP) from multinational firms producing GM products.

"We urge the Department of Agriculture to divulge the composition of
the STRP and assure the public of the members' independence from any
GMO [GM organism] company's interest. It is the responsibility of the
DA officials to ensure that the people's staple food is not dictated
by the GMO companies' profit interests," said Lugasip.

Searice points to Administrative Order 8 issued by the DA which states
that the STRP shall be "composed of at least three reputable and
independent scientists.to evaluate the application, particularly the
risk- assessment studies conducted and actions taken by relevant
regulatory authorities in the country of origin, and submit its
report to the Bureau of Plant Industry within 30 days from its receipt
of the application."

The Searice official noted a recent Greenpeace report which alleged
that the STRP is composed mostly of experts who were commissioned by
multinational firms to do research on genetic-plant materials.

Meanwhile, a member of the STRP said he would dismiss the application
of Bayer for LL62 right away for "lack of merit."

"Would it enhance agricultural productivity, global competitiveness,
lower the price of rice in the market, alleviate poverty and hunger,
improve the health of the rice-eating Filipinos? These were the
justifications for the country to hitch a ride with the biotechnology
bandwagon in the early years of the GMO debate, but these are now
conveniently forgotten in the decision-making process," said Dr.
Emerlito Borromeo.

Borromeo also said the evaluation of GMO applications should not be
left to the STRP alone because their perspective is confined to
"technical aspects" only and could not defend the economic and
socio-cultural implications of a particular GMO product.

Advocates of GM products had earlier defended the country's regulatory
and approval process and said it can ensure that any GM product
screened and approved will be safe for human consumption.