Greenpeace asks Philippine government to halt Bt eggplant experimental field trials
MANILA, Philippines – The Greenpeace on Friday asked the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) to stop the field trials of the genetically engineered (GE) Bt eggplant because it won’t be helpful and there are a lot of safety concerns.
This developed as more provinces are banning what are essentially risky genetic experiments in their localities.
Greenpeace is warning the government to heed the example of India, which has declared a moratorium on the commercialization of the genetically modified vegetable on safety concerns.
“The DA has to be more on the ball when it comes to the Bt talong issue. Once again the Philippines is accepting another country’s rejects. A few years ago, the government wanted us to eat genetically-tainted US rice that other countries refused to import,” said Daniel Ocampo, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Sustainable Agriculture campaigner.
“GE crop field trials are experiments that cannot yield any success because they are inherently risky,” he added.
Two of the seven selected sites for field trials -- the City of Davao and Sta Barbara, Iloilo -- have already issued provincial resolutions to ban field testing.
Other proposed test sites in Pangasinan, Laguna, Camarines Sur, Leyte, and North Cotabato are in the process of passing similar statutes.
Recent reports state that Bt eggplant proponents now refuse to divulge the date and time of planting, in blatant disregard of the public’s right to know of matters that have serious implications on community health.
Incidentally, the DA’s go-ahead for Bt eggplant testing was given under a similar non-consultative process.
Bt eggplant is a GE crop that has a built-in pesticide intended to kill the eggplant fruit and shoot borer insect.
As with all GMOs, no long-term studies on the effects on humans and the environment has ever been conducted.
© Allvoices, Inc 2008-2010. All rights reserved.
