Farmers, RP scientists question GMO ‘scare campaign’

The country’s biggest farmer organizations recently warned against an "apparent organized campaign to discredit the government’s food security policy" following the recent rash of alleged anti-genetically modified organism (GMO) "propaganda".

Farmer-leader Edwin Paraluman, chair of the Agricultural and Fisheries Council of General Santos City, and of the Provincial Farmers Action Council of South Cotabato, said recent attacks on government’s pro-biotechnology policy for agriculture by Norwegian anti-GMO activist Terje Traavik "is highly suspect in terms of timing and motivation".

Traavik recently alleged that a genetically-modified corn variety planted in Mindanao has caused various respiratory ailments and allergies among B’laan tribesmen.

Traavik, however, later admitted that his allegations "are not conclusive" and needed further studies.

His claims were also questioned by leading Filipino scientist and University of the Philippines medical expert Nina Barzaga. Barzaga said Traavik’s claim need to be evaluated based on the principles of immunology and immunobiology. Without this evaluation, Barzaga said Traavik "must not be given the chance to have the exposure that he craves for with these scare tactics".

Paraluman said Traavik’s recent attacks on the government’s food security policy "are mere rehash of the Greenpeace-led scare campaign last year. International pressure group Greenpeace came under fire in the country last year for alleging that GM food "will lead to cancer clusters, deformities, millions of dead bodies and sick children".

Paraluman stressed that the genetically-modified corn variety planted locally, called bacillus thuringiensis or Bt Corn, "has been subjected to rigid tests and was backed by the local community of respected Filipino scientists and farmer groups".

Among the scientist groups that supported the government’s adoption of biotechnology were the Women Association of Scientists in the Philippines, The Philippine Association for the Advancement of Crop Science and Technology, the Crop Science Society of the Philippines and the Biochemical Society of the Philippines.

It was also backed by the Philippine Maize Federation, the country’s biggest organization of corn farmers.

Paraluman said Traavik’s recent campaign against the government policy "is a blatant attempt at derailing the progress of our food security efforts". He said Bt corn is expected to radically increase the yield of the country’s shrinking corn farms while significantly reducing, or eliminating altogether, the need for toxic chemical fertilizers.

The elimination of the need for chemical fertilizers is due to the natural immunity of Bt corn to the deadly Asiatic Corn Borer which has been the scourge of local corn crops.

Since Traavik’s statements according to his own admission need to be conclusively verified, then he has been irresponsible in airing them, Paraluman said.

We ask whatever political or business interests are behind Mr. Traavik’s questionable activities to spare our agriculture programs from their attack, Paraluman said. He added that "hunger is an issue that must remain beyond the realm of politics".