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
Attempts to amend OA ordinance a backward step for Davao City, say organic advocates
DAVAO CITY – Members of the organic agriculture movement assailed the plans of the City Council Committee on Agriculture to amend the Organic Agriculture Ordinance of Davao City ostensibly to allow the field testing of the genetically modified Bt talong. “It is ironic that the call to review the organic agriculture ordinance came after proponents of GMOs attended a city council hearing presided by Hon. Conde Baluran, Chair on the Committee on Agriculture”, said Tom Villarin, Executive Director of SIMCARRD, a non-government organization focusing on sustainable farming issues and asset reform. Organic agriculture advocates like SIMCARRD have long maintained that Organic Agriculture and Genetically Modified crops cannot co-exist because of the danger of contamination. “They are poles apart and no win-win solution is possible. Transgenic crops kill indigenous varieties and will make OA impossible. The city hasn’t even implemented the organic ordinance, now they are already thinking of amending it. What gives?”, Villarin pointed out. “Politicians should not fall into the myth that GMO proponents are peddling like it addresses poverty, increases productivity and solves hunger”, said Villarin. “It is a myopic argument that provides a singular solution to complex problems. Besides it is really the profit interest of modern biotechnology companies that are behind this push for expansion of GMOs”, he added. The Mindanao PO representative to the National Organic Agricultural Board (NOAB) also decried the attempt to amend the local policy on organic agriculture. NOAB Board Member Emalyn Legal that this latest attempt will undermine the advances made by the Philippines in the support of organic agriculture. “GMOs are being rejected worldwide, “she said. “So why should the city rethink its stand just to accommodate the testing of a GM crop?” Legal, who is also the Advocacy Officer for the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Magsasaka (PAKISAMA,) pointed out the existence of RA 10068 or what is known as the National Organic Agriculture Law should already be a guidepost for policymakers everywhere to uphold the supremacy of organic agriculture over conventional agricultural technologies like Bt technology. “If Negros Island, Bohol and Mindoro in the Visayas can show the way in rejecting GMOs, I don’t see why Davao City cannot lead the way for other cities in making Mindanao GMO-free”, she added. (PR)
Organic farmers gear up for Thursday hearing on Bt talong but fear being excluded from the proceedings
DAVAO CITY – Organic farming advocates are gearing up for the City Council Committee on Agriculture hearing on the genetically modified BT talong this Thursday, February 3, 2011, but fear that their voices will not be heard as the Committee, headed by Councilor Conrado Baluran, does not seem keen on hearing the side of the anti-GMO movement.
Organic farming advocates refute DA official’s claims; organic agriculture is the key to crop productivity.
DAVAO CITY – Members of the Go Organic Mindanao movement refuted the statements made by Department of Agriculture official, Dr. Saturnina Halos, when she urged city councilors at a briefing last week to review the law that promotes organic agriculture because it can impede crop production in the country.