RP now a biotech ‘mega-country’,
says int’l report

THE Philippines now ranks No. 14 among mega-countries producing agricultural biotech products.

In an executive summary entitled: Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops 2004 published by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), countries that grow biotech crops on 50,000 hectares or more are classified as biotech mega-countries.

The Philippines, along with Paraguay, Spain,  and Mexico joined the mega-country group for the first time in 2004, reflecting a 40 percent increase in the number of mega-countries that produce biotech crops.

“The continued rapid adoption, especially among small, resource-poor farmers, is a testament that biotech crops reflect the substantial improvements in productivity, the environment, economics, health and social benefits realized by both larger and small farmers, consumers and society in both the industrial and developing countries,” said Clive James, chair of the ISAAA Board of Directors. “In 2004, we continued to see a broadening base of support for biotech crops as many of the countries participating in biotech crop production significantly increased crop hectarage.”

Notably, 90% of the beneficiary farmers were resource-poor farmers from developing countries, whose increased incomes from biotech crops contributed to the alleviation of poverty.

This continued adoption signals a strong vote of confidence in the benefits of biotech crops from farmers around the world, particularly those in developing countries.

The ISAAA report cited Edwin Paraluman, a Filipino farmer who claimed the increased production from biotech corn approved in late 2003, has already helped him better care for his family.

“I have a small house and my daughter keeps telling me, ‘Papa, please expand our house,” he said. “With biotech corn, yields doubled from 3.5 tons to 7 tons per hectare, helping me earn enough money to meet my daughter’s wishes.”

The 14 mega-countries, in descending order of hectarage of biotech crops, are: USA with 47.6 million has. (59% of global total), followed by Argentina with 16.2 million has. (20%), Canada 5.4 million has. (6%), Brazil 5.0 million has. (6%), China 3.7 million has. (5%), Paraguay with 1.2 million has. (2%) reporting biotech crops for the first time in 2004, India 0.5 million has. (1%), South Africa 0.5 million has. (1%), Uruguay 0.3 million has. (<1%), Australia 0.2 million has. (<1%), Romania 0.1 million has. (<1%), Mexico 0.1 million has. (<1%), Spain 0.1 million has. (<1%), and the Philippines 0.1 million has. (<1%).

“The early promise of biotechnology has been fulfilled,” James said. “Biotech crops are now poised to enter a new era of momentum that will stimulate growth well into the future.”

The ISAAA report also cited Germany, Columbia and Honduras as potential upcoming members of biotech mega-counties. The three countries should be able to join the elite group of countries as soon as each country reaches the required 0.1 million hectarage for biotech crops.

At present, farmers in the Philippines are devoted to planting the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn that has high resistance from the dreaded Asiatic corn borer. In two to three years, Bt cotton will soon be grown by Filipino growers.