Viewpoint: Philippines’ food security crisis will continue to deepen without disruptive biotechnology innovations

A major yield breakthrough in corn has occurred due to the introduction of hybrid seed which can be further galvanised and made cost-effective by using GM hybrids containing a stack of useful genes.

The health and opportunity cost of the malnourished (deficient calories, Vitamin A, iron, zinc) population is far greater than the potential threat of cancers. The malnourished population is predisposed to cancer-causing chemicals and environmental hazards, while there are convincing data to support a reduction in the use of chemicals with the introduction of GM crops. If GM poses any threat to our lives, we are already into it since the introduction of Bt cotton.

Our food security crisis will continue to deepen unless some disruptive technology applications are adopted. The application of ICTs, data sciences and GM crops are disruptive for good reasons. But there are regulatory and public perception problems.

[The Phillippines] are a country of 220 million people importing essential commodities worth $10 billion a year. It is extremely important to dispel unfounded misgivings against scientifically, environmentally and economically viable technologies. The law of the land permits the introduction of GM-crops including soybean. There are unfair hurdles that need to be removed. I propose an open debate in the media and advocacy for appropriate policy interventions to avoid deepening the food security crisis, by putting political preferences aside.

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