Group fears influx of GM rice in RP via deal with IRRI

QUEZON CITY, Philippines - A group of farmers and scientists on Sunday warned of a possible increase of genetically modified (GM) rice in the Philippine market after the Department of Agriculture approved a memorandum of agreement with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to boost the production of the staple in the country. During a press conference in Quezon City, the group RESIST or Resistance and Solidarity Against Agro-Chemical TNCs, said the DA and the IRRI’s “rice master plan" could lead to the entry of more genetically modified rice varieties in the country, such as LL601, LL Rice 62, and the Uncle Sam Texas Long Grain, which pose risk to health and the environment. The group also feared that the agreement could lead to the further depletion of the organically grown local varieties of rice, which are more health-friendly. “Farmers have long been protecting and preserving rice culture from genetically engineered rice but the IRRI has almost destroyed all of this….We have to save what is left, and defend our rice, as well as expose the IRRI’s rice master plan as a self-serving program," said Rafael Mariano, RESIST lead convenor, and chairman of the peasant organization Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas. LLRice 62 is a variety of the staple from the US, which is genetically modified to resist the broad-spectrum herbicide called glufosinate ammonium. The Pesticide Action Network (PAN) raised concern on the “current usage levels" of glufosinate “because of the marketing of genetically engineered crops resistant to herbicide." According to the PAN, glufosinate is being used in North America through a formulation called “Liberty," which was launched by AgroEvo, a joint venture by German chemical corporations Hoechst and Schering. The PAN cited studies which found out that the use of glufosinate “can cause a number of neurological symptoms in laboratory animals." According to the network, at lethal doses, glufosinate could trigger “overt signs of toxicity," which include “convulsions, salivation, hypersensitivity, irregular breathing, and trembling." The other variety - LL 601 - that was also developed by AgroEvo (which later became Aventis CropScience bought by Bayer in 2000), is also a genetically modified staple tolerant to glufosinate ammonium. According to the PAN, LL 601 “caused a mysterious and alarming genetic contamination of rice cultivated in several North American states." The contamination subsequently spread in many European countries and other parts of the world. Meanwhile, according to environmental activist group Greenpeace, it was found out from a test in Japan that the Uncle Sam Texas Long Grain Rice had the “same strain" as the glufosinate-resistant Liberty rice. Dr Chito Medina, also a convenor of RESIST said the “IRRI did not only facilitate the influx of genetically modified (rice) in the country, (but) also made some themselves." “In the process, farmers were evicted from their lands, and many of our friends and loved ones became sick. Some of whom have already died," he said. - GMANews.TV