Since 1996, a total of 73 countries have incorporated genetically modified (GM) crops into their agricultural frameworks, with 44 countries adopting them through cultivation and 29 through imports. This information illustrates decades of safe application and extensive integration across all significant regions, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), Inc. report.
The report, entitled Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops in 2024 (ISAAA Brief 57), highlighted a significant growth in the global agri-biotech sector, propelled by new crop approvals, climate-resilient characteristics, and the development of products aimed at meeting consumer demands.
“Biotech/GM crop approvals and cultivation often serve as a strategic response to a nation’s needs and immediate challenges, such as intensifying pest pressure, high commodity import costs, or domestic supply deficits,” said Dr. Rhodora Romero-Aldemita, ISAAA Inc. executive director and the report’s lead author.
“Ultimately, it is a country’s responsibility to utilize political will and effective regulatory frameworks to overcome the challenges and hurdles. By prioritizing agri-biotechnology, nations can stabilize their food systems and ensure that the benefits of innovation reach the poor and marginalized people,” she pointed out.
In Asia, the Philippines is the first country to grow biotech corn. Data from the Philippine Statistical Authority showed corn production and yields have risen steadily since the introduction of GM corn in 2003.
According to 2023 Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) figures, the top three provinces for GM corn cultivation are Isabela (108,829.85 ha), Cagayan (48,508.50 ha), and Bukidnon (30,936.50 ha). Research indicates that adopting Bt corn not only boosts farm and household incomes but also stabilizes the growth of the local swine and poultry industries.
Curtail effects of climate change
By planting more biotech crops, farmers may not only help solve the forthcoming food crisis but also lessen the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which may help stave off the effects of climate change, ISAAA, Inc. opines.
An ISAAA briefing paper, “Biotechnology and Climate Change,” cited a study which showed that from 1996 up to 2015, commercialized biotech crops have reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 26.7 billion kilograms, equivalent to taking 11.9 million cars off the road for one year.
Insiders say climate change will have a direct effect on food production in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region. “Higher temperatures have significant ramifications for food production,” notes Impact of Climate Change on ASEAN Food Security: Downscaling Analysis and Response published by the Singapore-based Center for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies.
The NTS publication cites these three reasons: continuous impacts (such as changes in yield due to temperature increase, shifting season lengths, and increased salinity in coastal areas), discontinuous impacts (such as increases in harvest failure due to extreme weather- and climate-related events, pests, and disease outbreaks), and permanent impacts (such as the loss of land due to inundation as a result of sea-level rise).
“Climate change is more disastrous to the agricultural industry of the Philippines and its neighboring countries than in other parts of the world,” warned Dr. David Street of the US Argonne National Laboratory.
Less pesticide use
The ISAAA briefing paper also adds that biotech crops have also contributed to climate change by providing a better environment. In 1996-2015, the world saved 620 million kilograms of active ingredient of pesticides that would have been used to kill pests and diseases.
According to the paper, planting biotech crops has allowed farmers from all over the globe to reduce the application of pesticides, thus saving 8.1% in 1996-2015.
The reduction was made possible through the use of biopesticides. For years, many organic farmers have used a bacterial pesticide called Bt to control a variety of pests that attack agricultural crops.
Bt stands for Bacillus thuringiensis, a common soil bacterium so called because it was first isolated in the Thuringia region of Germany. It produces a protein that paralyzes the larvae of some harmful insects.
Scientists, through genetic engineering, have taken the Bt gene responsible for the production of the insecticidal protein from the bacterium and incorporated it into the genome of plants. As such, the plants have a built-in mechanism of protection against targeted pests.
Aside from corn, Bt is also introduced in cotton, poplar, potato, rice, soybean, tomato, and more recently eggplant. “The protein produced by the plants does not get washed away, nor is it destroyed by sunlight,” said a briefing paper published by the Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology. “The plants are protected from the insects round the clock regardless of the situation.”
Since Bt crops are able to defend themselves against pests, the use of chemical insecticides is significantly reduced. A study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture showed that 8.2 million pounds of pesticide active ingredients were eliminated by the farmers who planted Bt crops in 1998.
Currently, there are more than 200 types of Bt proteins identified with varying degrees of toxicity to some insects.
Nothing new
The ISAAA, Inc. is batting for a green form of biotechnology – which comes from two words: “bio,” which stands for biology, the science of life; and “technology,” the tools and techniques used to achieve a particular purpose – that offers a solution to decrease greenhouse gases emissions.
“Crops can be modified faster through biotechnology than conventional crops, thus hastening implementation of strategies to meet rapid and severe climatic changes,” the ISAAA briefing paper explains.
Biotechnology is nothing new. It has existed since time immemorial. Spirulina, one of the oldest forms of life on earth, is believed to be what the ancient Israelites of the Old Testament referred to as the “manna from heaven.” In the Philippines, Filipinos have been practicing biotechnology in preparing vinegar, “patis,” “tapuy” (rice wine), cheese, bread, and compost making.
“Biotechnology is the wave of the future,” declares Dr. Saturnina Halos, one of the country’s biotech experts, “and it would help agricultural communities increase their production, improve their incomes and provide consumers with nutritious and disease-resistant food products.” (To be concluded)
