Feeding millions thru biotechnology

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ
The Philippine population is constantly growing for the past years. At a growth rate of 1.89 percent per year, the country was already named as the 12th most populated country in the world in 2014. Lately, the Population Commission (PopCom) projected the country’s number of people to explode to 104 million this year.
Increase in population comes with various challenges in a country, its leadership and constituencies. Among the concerns that Filipinos must face, or have been facing for the last 20 years, is food security.
Every administration, from the time of President Cory Aquino until today have promised food for the table of every Filipino family. Programs, policies and strategies have been laid down on food security measures but despite the efforts hunger still struck Filipino families and insufficiency of food supply continue to threaten Filipinos every year. The incoming administration of president-elect Rodrigo Duterte also promises enough food and hints for implementation of programs and projects in agriculture that will ensure food security.
 
Biotechnology and the Philippine Agriculture
Science experts in the country continue to contend for advanced agriculture programs that will bring increase in production. Policies crafted to fight hunger and feed millions of Filipinos, they argue, must anchor on advanced science such as Biotechnology.
“Agricultural production is decreasing due to the fast conversion of farm lands into other commercial use,” said Verna Dalusong, a research specialist at the Crop Biotechnology Center of the Philippine Rice Research Institute, Department of Agriculture (DA) when interviewed by EDGE Davao.
Dalusong was one of the speakers to the gathering of around 50 farmer leaders from various towns in Davao region on Friday, June 17 at the Apo View Hotel in Davao City. The event, organized by DA-11 and the J. Burgos Media Services was aimed to enhance and deepen the knowledge and understanding of farmers on biotechnology and utilizing the same to increase farm productivity.
Dalusong emphasized that seminars on biotechnology will help farmers interact and allow them to acquire ideas on science breakthroughs, trends and applications in agriculture.
DA-11 regional director Remelyn Recoter also lauded the farmer leaders for devoting their time to the event, saying that the seminar “comes at the most opportune time when the whole nation is looking forward for change.” She added that in the agriculture sector, one area that has been longing for change particularly on favourable policies from the government is the Biotechnology program.
“Biotechnology embodies life, skill and study,” Dalusong told the farmer leaders, emphasizing that it is a set of tools and any processes that uses living organisms to make or modify a product, improve plants, trees, animals or microorganisms for scientific purposes. She added that biotechnology, as a tool, can be applied to enhance agricultural production such as in crop and livestock improvement.
In farm animals, biotechnology can be used to modify and improve animals to make products and develop microorganisms for specific agricultural use; in plants, biotechnology has in store various techniques such as to transfer beneficial traits from one plant to another. The technology can also be used in conventional breeding, induced mutation assisted breeding, tissue culture and micro propagation, molecular maker technology and genetic engineering.
“Studies have already showed that biotechnology will enhance farm productivity,” Dalusong stressed. The science can help government improve the farming technologies of farmers and eventually achieve food security. “Our population is growing but we are also losing hectares of agricultural lands to other commercial purposes. Our food security is being threatened,” she added. Biotechnology has a huge potential to answer the threats of food shortage in the country as it will not only increase production but also protect farm products, she asserted.
Biotechnology is already in the Philippines but it has not yet been fully utilized by the agriculture sector. Noel Provido, information officer of DA-11 told EDGE Davao that traditional biotechnology is already being practiced in the country such as the tissue culture. Propagation of planting materials on banana through tissue culture has already been applied by various suppliers in the country. The commercialization of BT corn has already reached thousands of farmers in the country with positive results on its utilization through increased productivity and income. Production of hybrid rice is now being practiced by farmers nationwide and have provided them good harvest and income.
Danilo Bulahan, a farmer leader from Pamacaun, Asuncion town in Davao del Norte was among those who attended last Friday’s gathering. He told reporters of his gains in rice farming by utilizing advanced science techniques and the use of hybrid rice seeds.
“Dali ra mataptan og sakit ang mga inbreed nga semilya. Lahi ra sa hybrid nga taas ang resistensiya ug dili na kinahanglan mogasto pa ang mag-uuma aron protektahan kini batok sa mga sakit (Inbreed rice seeds are easily infested and infected with diseases. The hybrid rice seeds have high resistance against insects and diseases. Farmers need not to spend more to protect hybrid rice seeds)”, Bulahan pointed out. He added that rice varieties produced through biotechnology are advantageous for rice farming. He also encouraged rice farmers in the region to go into biotechnology practices and embrace its principles. “Life is different now compared before,” he added, emphasizing the help that biotechnology has provided to him and the other members of his organization in Pamacaun and the nearby towns in Davao del Norte.
 
Intensified approaches
Dalusong said the country needs to intensify its approaches on Biotechnology as the need to secure food supply is fast becoming a foremost concern. There are hindrances, she said that need to be addressed in order for biotechnology to be fully implemented within the agriculture program of the government.
“We lack awareness and campaigns to inform the people on biotechnology,” she said. Many are still afraid of biotechnology because of wrong information. There are also sectors in the Philippine society that continue to close their understanding on biotechnology. Given the situation, Dalusong said the government must initiate and intensify public education and advocacies on biotechnology. Not only the DA and other line agencies, the local government units (LGUs) can also play vital roles on campaigns nationwide as they are considered in the forefront of the Philippine governance.
The government’s effort to boost biotechnology in the country suffered a big blow when the Supreme Court (SC) declared null and void DA’s Administrative Order No. 8 (AO8) last year. AO8 was released by the DA in 2002 that set regulations on the importation, release and commercialization of agricultural products derived from the use of biotechnology. In its ruling, the SC said AO8 failed to meet the minimum requirements for safety as stipulated in Executive Order No. 514 or the National Biosafety Framework (NBF). SC’s decision also halted the field trials of biotechnology products in the country, including the BT Talong (eggplant).
On March 2016, national government agencies that include DA, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued the Joint Memorandum Circular No.1 (JMC-01). The circular sets the rules and regulations for the research and development, handling and use, trans-boundary movement, release into environment, and management of genetically-modified plant and plant-products derived from the use of modern biotechnology.
The circular has a more comprehensive definition on the rules of the DA and support agencies on biotechnology in terms of research and development, the movement, use and management of biotechnology products i the country, said Dr. Vivencio Mamaril, director of the Biotechnology Program Office of the DA.
Mamaril said that JMC-01 itself is a regulatory instrument on GMOs and biotechnology but each of the government agencies involved have their respective tasks and responsibilities defined. The DA, he said is mandated to promote the well-being of farmers and rural workers and help them increase their income and improve their living conditions. The other supporting agencies will be responsible on ensuring safety on the environment, health and coordination of various programs and activities related to the promotion and use of biotechnology in the country. Anchored on the policies set by the NBF, the agencies will also work on standard precautions and risk assessments to make sure that the potential adverse effects of GMOs in the environment and human health are avoided or minimized.
Advocates who support biotechnology and believe that it can help feed millions of Filipinos are now seeing a clear playing field in terms of propagating biotechnology in the country through the signing of JMC-01. Mamaril and Dalusong expressed optimism that massive campaigns to promote biotechnology can now be realized.
“The incoming administration must strengthen its advocacies and widen public awareness on biotechnology to reach out all sectors and inform them on the trends, success and the crucial role of advance science and technology to improve agriculture,” Dalusong said. The agriculture agency in Davao region also vowed to do its share in raising public awareness on biotechnology. “The program has also been longing for change in narrative and in reframing debates on Biotech and GMOs to gain better public understanding and acceptance,” Director Recoter pointed out. She is also seeing opportunity despite the setback that AO8 had gone through – scientists and advocates now have the opportunity to explain Biotechnology and GMOs to the people.
“Today, we seek to gain enlightenment of the said Joint Department Circular as this meeting of minds aims to achieve. We hope that his activity will spark more substantive participation from various agencies, science community and farming organizations.”
Advocating biotechnology, Recoter emphasized, is not an easy ride as those who believe in it will have to face a lot of hurdles and challenges. “In fact, those who oppose Biotech and GMOs are gaining more media mileage and public attention. Probably because casting their fear is easier than searching for truth,” she added.
“After all, advocating Biotechnology is not just about being anti organic or pro-multinational. It is about taking a stand of truth-based science and evidence-based data. It is about providing farmers access to modern technologies and providing them better opportunities. It is about enabling our consumers to make informed-choices,” Recoter said.