Genetically modified
and hybrid crops

The present focus on the rice crisis, which is explained by the government as due to trade manipulations rather than scarcity (which many cannot believe because government continues to import rice), has brought to the fore the use of appropriate rice varieties adapted to varying environmental conditions. Rice varieties adapted to drought or marshy conditions, I understand, are being developed as answer to anticipated climate changes, which would render many rice-producing areas of the world either dry or wet. Other rice breeders aim to develop varieties adapted to saline soil conditions, should coastal areas become salty as a result of rising sea levels.

Because of the looming food crisis, some groups are pushing for the adoption of hybrids that under certain conditions produce yields at least 50 percent higher than non-hybrids. CNN recently featured the practice in Indonesia of using high-yielding hybrids and organic fertilizers bringing more income to rice farmers. But the same announcement also pointed out that Indonesian farmers have to rely on the importation of hybrid seeds. Seed importation is seen as a disadvantage of planting hybrid rice.

In the Philippines, the use of hybrid rice seeds produced with a variety from China is being recommended to help ensure rice sufficiency in the country. Again, the objective is to increase yields. The question is, what are the demands of this hybrid on the environment and are they affordable in the long term?

One criticism of hybrid or bio-engineered rice is that these varieties require certain environmental conditions and the use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides that are generally believed to be harmful to the environment or add to the cost of production and therefore cannot be sustainable. It is obvious that yields alone cannot be used as arguments for adopting certain varieties of crop species. Sustainability of the environment should be factored in the choice of appropriate varieties.

One bio-engineered crop variety being planted in some parts of the Philippines is Bt corn. I understand that some farmers plant this GMO in some areas on Mindanao. But farmers in other parts of the country have refused to plant it because they feel that this GMO has not been studied enough and shown to be environment-friendly. The bacterial gene inserted into this corn GMO kills not only harmful insects but also useful ones. Others argue that environmental conditions, such as water and organic fertilizers, can ensure large harvests, and there is no need to resort to engineered varieties.