IN a landmark step for biosafety regulatory processes in the Philippines, the government approved Golden Rice for commercial planting, and the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) eggplant for direct use as food, feed, or for processing.
This means that Filipino rice farmers may soon be able to plant and consumers may soon have on their tables the Vitamin A-infused Golden Rice after the Bureau of Plant Industry of the Department of Agriculture (DA-BPI) issued a permit for the commercial propagation of the biotech plant.
The Philippines’s biosafety approval of Golden Rice is the first authorization for commercial propagation of genetically engineered rice in South and Southeast Asia.
The Bt eggplant, however, will still need commercial propagation approval for environmental safety assessment before it can be made available to the public.
The DA-BPI issued on July 21 the Biosafety Permit for Commercial Propagation 21-012Propa to Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), which owns and has the license to Golden Rice.
The permit said PhilRice has “satisfactorily complied with all the requirements” for the issuance of the permit, signed by DA-BPI Director George Y. Culaste. It was released to the media on July 23.
The biosafety permit said the Golden Rice has undergone “satisfactory biosafety assessment” pursuant to the Joint Department Circular (JDC) 1 Series of 2016 issued by the Departments of Science, Agriculture, Environment, Health, and Interior and Local Government.
Bt eggplant
ON the Bt eggplant biosafety assessment, DA-BPI approved Bt eggplant and issued Biosafety Permit 21-078FFP after a rigorous JDC assessment.
Bt eggplant, locally called Bt talong, has been found to be as safe as a conventional eggplant, and can substitute for its traditional counterpart, according to the DA-BPI approval. The biosafety permit has been sent to the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), the ISAAA Knowledge Center said in a statement.
Bt eggplant contains a natural protein from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis which makes it resistant to eggplant fruit and shoot borer (EFSB), the most destructive pest of eggplants. The Bt protein affects EFSB worm only and is safe for humans, farm animals, and nontarget insects.
“Bt eggplant is safe as it only targets EFSB. It is safe for humans, animals, and non-target insects,” said Dr. Lourdes D. Taylo, study leader of the Bt eggplant project from UPLB.
The FFP approval of Bt eggplant is among the latest milestones in the biosafety regulatory process in the Philippines. To complete the biosafety regulatory process, Bt eggplant will need commercial propagation approval for environmental safety assessment before it can be released for public consumption.
The Philippines joins Bangladesh as the only two countries that have certified the safety of Bt eggplant. Bangladesh was the first country to plant Bt eggplant in 2014.
‘Healthier rice’
DA-PhilRice executive director Dr. John C. de Leon said Golden Rice development followed the standard process of rice breeding, which usually takes 10 years to 12 years before a variety reaches consumers, a PhilRice news release said.
Golden Rice is part of the Healthier Rice Project carried out by DA-PhilRice in partnership with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
De Leon clarified that Golden Rice will still have to seek varietal registration with the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC), which approves the registration of varieties based on consistent good agronomic field performance.
“Rigorous research and regulatory review has demonstrated that Golden Rice is as safe as ordinary rice with the added benefit of beta-carotene in its grains” said Dr. Ajay Kohli, IRRI Director for Research.
“This milestone approval is the product of cross-cutting collaborative work in the agriculture and nutrition sciences, the public sector, and local farming communities, who are all looking forward to seeing Golden Rice reach the tables of those who need it the most,” Kohli added.
De Leon said they will still have to complete the remaining few next steps, such as seed increase, to be able to bring the product to farmers and consumers at the soonest possible time.
He said Golden Rice is developed for humanitarian purposes to help curb vitamin A deficiency. He said that they aim to deploy the vitamin A-enriched rice in partnership with appropriate agencies through market-based and programmatic approaches (e.g., feeding program) in areas where the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency is high.
