Organic farming advocates challenge UPMin to show proof that latest talong plantings are not Bt-modified crops
DAVAO CITY – An island network representing organic farmers and their support groups is challenging the University of the Philippines Mindanao’s (UPMin) assurance that the latest round of eggplant trial testing at its campus site in Bago Oshiro does not involve the genetically modified Bt talong. Go Organic Mindanao (GOM) in its press statement said that UPMin and Dr. Eufemio Rasco should show proof that the eggplant seedlings which have already been planted in the former field trial site of the Bt talong are not a new batch of genetically modified eggplants from the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) in UP Los Banos. “It is not enough that we should take their word for it; because after all, these are the very same people who sought to circumvent local administrative processes in order to carry out the Bt talong field testing experiment. UP Mindanao should show proof that these are not genetically modified Bt eggplants. ”, the statement said. Last January 28, 2011, UPMin Chancellor Dr. Gilda C. Rivero had written Mayor Sarah Duterte informing her of the latest eggplant experiment which is being conducted by Dr. Eufemio Rasco. In the letter, she wrote that the latest experiment is a study on pest management of eggplant and assured the Mayor that the latest plantings do not involve the use of Bt eggplant. “The general objective (of the experiment) is to determine the relative effectiveness of non-BT control measures”, she wrote. “The results will also serve as benchmark information for evaluation the severity of the pest problem in Davao City”. Her letter also asked for the Mayor’s endorsement of the project to the City Agriculturist Office as well to the NGOs who are against the Bt talong field testing. But GOM members are not convinced. “How are we to know that what they are telling us is the truth? Last week , they told us that the Bt talong field testing is funded by the University but when copies of the contract came out, we found out that the contract was signed by private entities and not the University itself. Now they are telling us that this new batch is not Bt talong. Are we supposed to believe that at face value?”, asked Lia Esquillo, Executive Director of the Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) Local critics of the latest field experiments point out there were already numerous studies which have been conducted , no less by the Institute of Plant Breeding-UPLB itself. IDIS Research Head Ann Bolo revealed that the research of Dr. Merdelyn C. Lit of IPB has provided important data on the resistance of hundreds of eggplant genotypes and their wild relatives against leafhopper and shoot/fruit borer. “Dr. Lit’s research had also resulted in the development of efficient field and greenhouse techniques for Host Plant resistance screening of the varieties, so what does Dr. Rasco seek to prove with his research?”, she asked. “If by gauging the effectiveness of non-Bt control measures, they mean to reduce the pest population in the field without use of insecticides, then the Lit research studies are already a validation that one does not need Bt crops in order to achieve high production yield.”, she said. Bolo also added that she would be interested in finding out the project’s research design. “UPMin should also release a copy of the research design so that those who doubt the objectives of the experiment will have the chance to see for themselves”, she said. Meanwhile, GOM members called on the research proponents to include local farmers in the study. “If the goal of the study is to study organic and conventional methods in pest management, they should not ignore the indigenous farming knowledge that local farmers have in combating eggplant pests”, said Dennie Udtuhan, a community organizer for FARMCOOP. “ Farmers know what’s best for them since they have been doing it for all their lives”, she pointed out.
UPMin challenged: be upfront on the nature of Bt talong field testing
DAVAO CITY – Organic groups in Davao challenged the University of the Philippines in Mindanao (UPMin) to be transparent on the true nature of the genetically modified Bt eggplant field testing. Previous statements prepared by UP Mindanao officials on the nature of experimental trials are now cast in doubt as copies of the contract have recently surfaced , revealing contractual obligations that run contrary to their official statements. During last week’s hearing of the City Council Committee on Agriculture, UPMin Chancellor Gilda Rivero said that the Bt talong project is a public research which is funded by taxpayers money. But based on the contract obtained by organic groups, UP Mindanao is not party to the agreement made with the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications ( ISAAA), which made the Bt talong project feasible. Opponents of the field trial testing have managed to get hold of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the ISAAA and the University of the Philippines Los Banos Foundation, Inc (UPLBFI) and the University of the Philippines Mindanao Foundation Inc. (UPMFI). Among the glaring revelations in the contract is that the agreement was signed between private entities, and not with the State University itself. The MOU lists the UPLBFI as a private corporation in Laguna while the UPMFI is a non-government organization based in Davao City. Dr. Cecilio Arboleda, UPLBFI Executive Director and Dr. Edmundo Prantilla, UPMFI President signed the MOU with Dr. Randy Hautea, ISAAA Global Coordinator. Go Organic Mindanao (GOM) member and IDIS Executive Director Lia Esquillo said that this shows who the real instigators of the project are. “ Why are Hautea and Rasco insisting that the Bt talong is the property of the University when the contract was signed between private entities and not the University itself?”, she asked. For GOM members, this is proof that the experiment is not being publicly funded but rather part of institutional arrangements between multinational corporations and research institutions. GOM members are also particularly concerned over a MOU provision which states that the ISAAA, other than provide funds and technical and admin assistance to the other parties, shall assume no other responsibility and incur no liability arising from the conduct of the field trials. “So this means that ISAAA can go scot-free if the Bt talong gene escapes into the local environment and gets consumed unknowingly ? “ , asked Esquillo. Last month , a new analysis on the results of the feeding study on Bt talong revealed that the genetically modified eggplant poses significant risks to health as it had caused inflammation, reproductive and liver damage on experimental rats. For Dr. Romeo Quijano, a prominent University of the Philippines medical toxicologist, this is enough reason why the Bt talong field testing must be stopped. Invoking the precautionary principle, he said “ There are now sufficient indications to show that this particular genetic modification of the eggplant will result to health related risks in humans . All the more reason, that the field testing must be stopped.” Dr. Quijano, who also teaches at the UP Manila College of Pharmacology and Toxicology, further said that, “With the precautionary principle, there is recognition that long-term health impacts of genetically modified crops are difficult to predict and often impossible to prove,”he said. “It puts the burden of proof of safety on the polluter, in which case, is Monsanto”, he emphasized. Organic farming advocates have been quick to point out that the Bt gene was sourced from the eggplant stock of the Maharashtra Hybrid Company (MAHYCO). MAHYCO is a known subsidiary of Monsanto, one of the world’s largest multinational agricultural corporation. The track record of Monsanto on its devious strategies to ensure monopoly on seed ownership has been well documented. Under the guise of doing research to increase crop productivity, it enters into agreement with academic institutions. But the results of these industry studies which are usually submitted to regulators are unpublished and typically kept secret because they claim that it is “confidential business information”. The MOU underscored this. In Section 1.3.8, the MOU obligates UPMFI not to disclose data info, findings and other incidents produced and borne during the field trial, hence fueling fears that if contamination occurs during the field testing, residents living near the testing site will never even know. “If the gene contaminates the local varieties , who will tell us that what we are already consuming are Bt eggplants?”, asked Dagohoy Magaway, a local organic farming advocate. “And if we get sick from eating these genetically modified eggplants, who will be made liable?”. Tom Villarin, Executive Director of SIMCAARD, a non-government organization focusing on farming issues and asset reform said that Hautea and Rasco should come clean on this issue. “Cut the crap. This is not just about raising crop productivity of eggplant farmers or ensuring food security for Filipinos”, he said. “The hidden agenda here is about multinational corporations trying to control our country’s food production. If they control seed production, they control the food supply. “, he stressed
Ban all GM crops, groups ask city council
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews) — Groups promoting organic agriculture urged the City Council to reject not only Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) eggplant, the first genetically modified vegetable scheduled for commercialization next year, but also all genetically modified crops in Davao City.
Lia Esquillo, executive director of the Interface Development Interventions Inc., made the call during the city council committee on agriculture hearing also attended by scientists and proponents of Bt eggplant.
Citywide network of small organic farmers call on City Council to support the City decision to terminate Bt talong testing
DAVAO CITY – The Go Organic – Davao City (Go DC), a citywide network of small organic farmers and their support groups called on City Councilors to support the City Mayor’s decision to terminate the genetically modified Bt talong field testing at the UP Mindanao even as the project proponents are hell-bent on pursuing the project.
New international study shows Bt gene to be toxic
DAVAO CITY – Organic farming advocates in Davao welcomed the latest independent study which revealed that the consumption of the Bt eggplant can cause inflammation, reproductive disorders and liver damage. The Institute for Independent Impact Assessment in Biotechnology released a report prepared by Lou Gallagher, an environmental epidemiologist and risk assessment expert from New Zealand , which revealed that the safety claims made for the Bt brinjal (eggplant) are unwarranted and not supported by existing data. “On the contrary, there are alarming signs that the consumption of food derived from these plants could result in adverse health effects”, Gallagher said. After analyzing the raw data of the 14 and 90-day feeding studies of the Bt brinjal on experimental rats, she confirmed that there is “organ and systems damage: with OVARIES at half their normal weight, enlarged spleens with white blood cell counts at 35 to 40 percent higher than normal with elevated eosinophils, indicating immune function changes; and toxic effects to the liver: as demonstrated by elevated bilirubin and elevated plasma acetylcholinesterase”. She then concluded that on the basis of the existing data, the genetically engineered eggplant cannot be recommended for human consumption. ““Major health problems among test animals were ignored in these reports. The single test dose used was lower than recommended by the Indian protocols. Release of Bt brinjal for human consumption cannot be recommended given the current evidence of toxicity to rats in just 90 days and the studies’ serious departures from normal scientific standards”. ,she said. Go Organic Mindanao Coordinator Angelica Castro said that this latest report underscored the dangers of the Bt eggplant to human health. “The City Government of Davao was correct in deciding to uproot the Bt talong from the experimental site to prevent contamination and the eventual accidental consumption of the Bt eggplant”, she said. The gene being used in Bt talong has been sourced from the same stock of bt brinjal hybrids being tested in India. The Bt eggplant is genetically engineered to produce insecticidal proteins (called Bt toxin) which target the Eggplant Fruit and Shoot Borer (EFSB) pest. But according to Dr. Rodel Maghirang, Bureau of Plant Industry scientist, there is really no need for Bt talong because there are varieties which are resistant to EFSB. Maghirang who was in Davao last November 11, 2010 to give a seminar on Integrated Pest Management to personnel of the City Agriculture Office was asked about his opinion on the Bt talong issue. “May matitibay na tayong variety ng talong pero nagdevelop pa rin sila ng Bt mainly for money.”, he said. UP Mindanao has repeatedly maintained that it is testing the open pollinated variety (OPV) which it intends to distribute to small farmers everywhere. But GOM members are not convinced. Interface Development Interventions Policy Advocacy Officer Chinkie Pelino-Golle said that the field testing of the OPV Bt talong opens the gates for further testing of commercial varieties of genetically modified BT talong which are better than the OPV but will be sold in the market. “ Who will then stand to gain from this scenario? Certainly not the small farmers who cannot afford to buy these hybrid seeds. Only Monsanto, who will continue to profit from these seeds”, she said. The Bt eggplant was originally developed by the Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company (Mahyco), the Indian subsidiary of the US seeds corporation Monsanto. Mahyco had sub-licensed the technology to the University of the Philippines in Los Banos to develop Bt talong in the Philippines. Gallagher’s findings are the latest in the list of negative findings on the Bt eggplant . In 2010, negative findings have already been discovered from an examination of the dossier by Jack Heinemann (Genomics), Judy Carman (study design and statistical rigour etc) and the authoritative environmental risk assessment by Andow (published), which confirme that the ERA (Environmental Risk Assessment) for Bt brinjal has essentially not been done.
Cancellation of permit to test genetically modified eggplant hailed
DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Advocates of sustainable agriculture welcomed the decision of the Bureau of Plant Industry to cancel the permit to test-grow genetically modified eggplant, locally referred to as “BT talong.”
The bureau had granted the permit to the University of the Philippines in Mindanao and the Visayan State University in Baybay, Leyte.