Bt eggplants in the Philippines

 

Since 1999 GENET collects and distributes information on various topics in the field of genetic engineering in agriculture, food production and health. With this "Special Topic: Bt eggplants in the Philippines" GENET aims at providing an overview about the debate on development and approval of Bt eggplants in this country, based on our archives.

2012-05-14 | permalink

Philippine Supreme Court stops field trials of genetically modified eggplant

Cultivation of genetically modified eggplants--perceived to be dangerous for human consumption--will be put on hold after the Supreme Court issued a writ of kalikasan in favor of petitioners led by environment group Greenpeace. Details of the writ issued last Friday however were kept private by Greenpeace while the High Court has yet to post the resolution on its website. “As per advice of our lawyer, we cannot share the copy with the media. Basically, the writ is for respondents to justify the field trials. I cannot go into the details for now,” Daniel Ocampo, sustainable agriculture campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said in a text message to Sun.Star.

2012-05-04 | permalink

Philippine GE eggplant war: Petition against field trials ”is not in the national interest”

Top Filipino scientists have urged the Supreme Court to junk a petition filed by environmental groups against the field testing of genetically modified eggplant in the country. Emil Javier, president of the National Academy of Science and Technology and former president of the University of the Philippines, said “Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) eggplant is potentially the best environmentally friendly technology for eggplant production.” [...] He argued that the filing of the petition “is not in the national interest, and the academy, together with UP and the mainstream, reputable scientists from the local and global community strongly support agricultural biotechnology.”

2012-04-26 | permalink

Philippine Supreme Court urged to ban cultivation of GM eggplants

Public officials and environmental group Greenpeace asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to stop the field testing of genetically modified eggplant, a variety they said can cause damage to human health and natural vegetation. Specifically, the petitioners which also include Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn and Bayan Muna party-list Representative Teodoro Casiño asked the Court to issue a writ of kalikasan, which is a legal remedy to address environmental concerns. [...] The Philippines has a recorded 500 varieties of eggplant and related species. With its built-in insect-resistance gene, Bt eggplant poses risks of creating aggressive weeds that may wreak havoc to local agriculture and natural habitats, said Daniel Ocampo, sustainable agriculture campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

2012-04-17 | permalink

Greenpeace releases report on ’dangers’ of Bt eggplant

Greenpeace released today a report ”confirming the dangers” of cultivating genetically-modified organisms. The report, which focuses on Bt eggplant, a GMO variety currently being field-tested in the Philippines, details how the spread of the genetically-modified Bt gene can cause eggplant to be an ”aggressive and problematic weed, threatening to overpower similar varieties.” In addition, Greenpeace maintains that GMOs grown in fields contaminate normal crops, threaten farmers’ livelihoods, and are dangerous to human health.

2012-04-05 | permalink

Five GE crops under development in the Philippines

Five more biotechnology products being developed by local research institutions are expected to be commercially released soon. The genetically modified crops — Golden Rice, Bt cotton, Bt eggplant, Bt camote, and Bt abaca — are in various stages of research, the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotechnology Applications reported at the recent 2012 seminar on biotechnology held at Hyatt Hotel in Manila.

2012-04-04 | permalink

Philippine Bt eggplant field trials start

Field trial of the genetically modified eggplant in Cotabato province has finally taken off last week. Dr. Lourdes D. Taylo, an entomologist from the University of the Philippines in Los Baños-Institute of Plant Breeding, confirmed that Bacillus thuringiensis eggplant, or Bt Talong, has been planted at a trial site at the University of Southern Mindanao in Kabacan, Cotabato province. “The field trial would run for about three months,” she told BusinessWorld, thumbing down “possible contamination of conventional eggplants since the Bt Talong test site has been isolated.

2011-12-12 | permalink

Women farmers network oppose Bt eggplant trials in Davao City (Philippines)

SMALL organic farmers in Davao City hailed Mayor Sara Duterte’s stance in opposing the second round of Bt talong field testing in Davao City. Tranquilina Alibango of Kababaihang Nagtataglay ng Bihirang Lakas (KNBL), a network of women farmers in the city’s third congressional district, welcomed the city mayor’s move, saying it showed her commitment towards protecting the welfare of small organic farmers.

2011-11-16 | permalink

Philippine offical declares Bt eggplant as safe for human consumption

Director Candida Adalla of DA Biotech PIU [...] clarified that the BT eggplant has a BT toxin which is a ”normal” component of the Philippine soil. [...] ”We are already associated with it (BT toxin). We simply got a gene from it and transferred it (to the eggplant) to make the eggplant resistant to pests,” said Adalla, who is also an entomologist. She said the genetically-modified eggplant has the ”very same appearance, taste, and chemical composition as the normal eggplant.”

2011-11-14 | permalink

Davao City (Philippines) stands firm vs eggplant testing

THE City Government told proponents of the controversial Bacillus thurigiensis eggplant or the ”Bt talong” to make things clear first before they could run the second round of testing they are mulling. Leonardo Avila III, acting chief of the City Agriculturist Office, said the City Government in general did not change its stance in opposing the open field test of Bt talong in any parts of the city, even inside the University of the Philippines in Mindanao, in Mintal, this city. The UP Los Baños as well as the UPMin along with funding agencies are the proponents of the introduction of Bt talong in Davao City.

2011-11-07 | permalink

Davao City (Philippines) orders strict confinement for Bt eggplant trials

Tests of genetically modified organisms would be allowed in the city only on condition these are done in a “strictly confined environment.” [...] In a forum, city agriculturist Leonardo Avila III said the city government would allow tests of Bt talong only in laboratories using pollen tents and wire mesh with very small holes to prevent the accidental release of pollen into the air or soil. “We want them to really put up the infrastructures where the mesh could not even allow pollen or bees to get inside,” he said.

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