Biotechnology Trends A Threat to Philippine Agriculture PDF

Biotechnology Trends: A Threat to Philippine Agriculture? By Dr. Saturnina C. Halos (1989) Dr. Patrick C. De Leon Associate Professor UP Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga  Outline of Presentation 1. Purpose of...

Biotechnology Trends: A Threat to Philippine Agriculture? By Dr. Saturnina C. Halos (1989) Dr. Patrick C. De Leon Associate Professor UP Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga  Outline of Presentation 1. Purpose of the Study 2. Plans and Programs on Philippine Agriculture 3. Biotechnology Developments Abroad: A Threat to the Poor 4. Biotechnology Activities in the Philippines: Is There a Pro-Poor Focus? 5. Locally Developed Biotechnologies 6. Research and Strategy Planning 7. National Scientists  Purpose of the Study ▪ Analyze trends in biotechnology R&D in relation to Philippine agriculture ▪ Examine the employment potential, distributional implications and nutritional dimension of the locally developed biotechnologies  Plans and Programs on Philippine Agriculture Goals of the DA ▪ Attain equity and economic recovery ▪ Increase farm family income from $63.57 per month to at least $95.24 per month ▪ Ensure food security ▪ Increase and stabilize earnings from agricultural exports ▪ Reduce dependence on products where there is a comparative advantage  Plans and Programs on Philippine Agriculture Strategies of the DA ▪ Provide a policy environment that will make farming profitable ▪ Improve the delivery of services to famers ▪ Private-sector lead development process ▪ Bottom-up planning ▪ Area-specific and community based (rather than commodity- specific) ▪ Income-oriented (rather than production-oriented)  Plans and Programs on Philippine Agriculture Programs ▪ CARP → unequal distribution of land ▪ Crop diversification → vulnerability of traditional exports (sugar, coffee, and coconut)  Biotechnology Developments Abroad: A Threat to the Poor Increasing Privatization of Biotechnology ▪ To meet the needs of the affluent market ▪ Multinational companies producing improved seeds plus corresponding pesticides ▪ Corn hybrid seed adoption in the Philippines is only 4% despite several subsidized corn production programs  Biotechnology Developments Abroad: A Threat to the Poor ▪ Failure to reach out and cater to the needs of small corn farmers who produce 75% of the country’s corn ▪ Small corn farmers grow corn primarily for subsistence ▪ Prefer open pollinated, white varieties which are more suitable for food and can produce seeds for the next cropping season ▪ Corn technology packages are geared towards the feed market  Biotechnology Developments Abroad: A Threat to the Poor ▪ Without appropriate technologies, Filipino corn farmers cannot compete even in their own market ▪ Thus, it is necessary to maintain corn-breeding programs in public institutions where the benefits in biotechnology can be achieved without depending on genetic engineering  Biotechnology Developments Abroad: A Threat to the Poor Non-Traditional Uses of Crops ▪ Cassava, a root crop that supplies starch for industrial and pharmaceutical use is being eyed as a source of high fructose syrup – a sweetener substitute for sugar ▪ High fructose syrup has eased Philippine sugar out of the US sugar market  Biotechnology Developments Abroad: A Threat to the Poor ▪ Use of enzymatic conversions of plant oils in the production of structured lipids could ease coconut oil out of the market ▪ Only 2% of the oils and fats market is supplied by coconut and the Philippines supplies about 80% of that coconut  Biotechnology Developments Abroad: A Threat to the Poor Health Fads ▪ Low-calorie, sugar-free diet ▪ A privilege of industrialized countries ▪ Philippine coconut oil exports suffer due to cholesterol scare  Biotechnology Developments Abroad: A Threat to the Poor New Production Systems ▪ Adoption of animal hormones to improve productivity is complicated by the need for technical assistance and efficient management abilities by famer-users ▪ Only farmers near agricultural research and extension centers benefit from this technology  Biotechnology Activities in the Philippines: Is There a Pro-Poor Focus? Biotechnology Centers ▪ The creation of centers such as the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology is a countermeasure to the privatization of biotechnology. ▪ Biotechnology has been identified as a major area for support by quasi-public institutions and international aid agencies  Biotechnology Activities in the Philippines: Is There a Pro-Poor Focus? BIOTECH ▪ National Institute of Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology ▪ Established in December 1979I ▪ Mandated to harness micro- organisms to transform renewable raw materials into food, fuel, and fertilizer  Locally Developed Biotechnologies ▪ Bio-fertilizers – labor intensive ▪ Tissue-culture – some are expensive (e.g. $23.80 per embryo-rescued mutant coconut planting stock) ▪ Bio-pesticides – saves the environment ▪ Bio-fuels – a lot of potential (e.g. biogas)  Research and Strategy Planning ▪ Biotechnology development ▪ Biotechnology R&D are not abroad adversely affects directed towards problems of Philippine agriculture survival and maintenance of ▪ Philippine agricultural competitive advantage of the development lacks adequate major crops of the Philippines support, direction, and focus ▪ Appropriate and timely ▪ Sugar faces stiff competition technological interventions can from new sweeteners only be made through careful ▪ Coconut vs. simulated oils and planning and through fats evaluation of capabilities and resources ▪ White corn vs. yellow corn  Research and Strategy Planning ▪ Biggest obstacle: pervasive colonial mentality – “incapacity of Filipinos to believe that important advances could come from Filipino scientists”  National Scientists ▪ Francisco M. Fronda, Ph.D. (December 22, 1896 – February 17, 1986) ▪ Graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture in 1919; His field of specialization was Animal Husbandry; The country’s top expert in poultry husbandry and has earned the distinction of being one of the first five in the world who had doctorate in poultry science; Recognized as “the Father of Poultry Science” in the Philippines for his immense contribution to the poultry and livestock industry.  National Scientists ▪ Dioscoro L. Umali, Ph.D. (November 17, 1917 – July 1, 1992) ▪ He finished Bachelor of Science in Agronomy at the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture in 1939; His field of specialization was Agriculture and Rural Development; His studies on upland agriculture, forestry, and environmental preservation have helped many farmers improve the quality of their crops; Recognized as “the Father of Philippine Plant Breeding”.  National Scientists ▪ Pedro B. Escuro, Ph.D. (August 2, 1923 – September 8, 2000) ▪ Graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture in 1952, with a degree in Agronomy, magna cum laude; His field of specialization was Genetics and Plant Breeding; He received 18 honors and awards, that includes his outstanding accomplishments in rice improvement and outstanding contribution to rice breeding and genetics; Recognized as the “Father of the Philippine Rice Breeding Program”.  National Scientists ▪ Dolores A. Ramirez, Ph.D. (September 20, 1931) ▪ Graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture in 1956, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture, magna cum laude; Her field of specialization was Biochemical Genetics and Cytogenetics; She focused on the cytogenetics of various important Philippine crops; She was known for her research in biochemical genetics and cytogenetics of plants.  National Scientists ▪ Jose R. Velasco, Ph.D. (February 4, 1916 – January 24, 2007) ▪ Graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture in 1940, with a degree in Agriculture, major in Agriculture Chemistry; His field of specialization was Plant Physiology; He was noted for his research on soil and plant nutrition and on coconut diseases.