MANILA, Philippines — Greenpeace slapped the National Food Authority (NFA) with a Notice of Violation for allowing the importation and continued sale of genetically-modified rice which, by law, cannot be legally distributed and marketed for human consumption in the country. Serving the notice was a team of Greenpeace GMO Patrol activists who marched to the NFA’s main office in Quezon City to deliver the demand personally to NFA administrator Mr. Jessup Navarro.


Greenpeace campaigner, Daniel Ocampo, together with a team of Greenpeace GMO Patrol marches before the entrance of the National Food Authority (NFA) head office moments before Greenpeace slapped the NFA with a Notice of Violation for allowing the importation and continued sale of genetically-modified rice which, by law, cannot be legally distributed and marketed for human consumption in the country.

Along with the notice, the activists displayed a banner with the
message “Keep our rice GMO free!” to protest the NFA’s careless
attitude toward the presence of GMOs (genetically-modified
organisms) in the supply of the country’s most important staple
food. Greenpeace also handed the NFA copies of the new Greenpeace
report “Rice Industry in Crisis” outlining the worldwide tide of
opposition to GMO rice, with the world’s biggest exporters,
processors, and retailers, issuing written commitments to stay
GMO-free.

“Since last year, Greenpeace has repeatedly alerted the NFA
about the presence in the market of GMO-tainted rice banned for
human consumption. But NFA consistently refused to respond to the
issue. Is the NFA deliberately turning a blind eye to GMO-rice
contamination? Or are they so monumentally inefficient they are
incapable of fulfilling their task of protecting the country’s food
supply and the interests of Filipino consumers? The NFA cannot
continue to be silent. Today, we are compelling them to publicly
answer this issue,” said Greenpeace Southeast Asia
Genetic-Engineering campaigner Daniel Ocampo.

Greenpeace revealed November last year that an imported US rice
brand, distributed by Purefeeds Corp of Sta. Ana, Manila, “Uncle
Sam Texas Long Grain,” was tainted with the GMO Bayer LL601. LL601
is rice genetically altered to resist the powerful herbicide
glufosinate. It is illegal (not approved for distribution or human
consumption) everywhere in the world

  except in the US where Bayer applied for its marketing
approval only after it massively and illegally contaminated the
global food chain. The LL601 contamination scandal prompted major
rice dealers across the world to commit to GMO-free production and
trade, and has led the EU, Japan, and Russia to stringently test US
rice imports for the GMO-strain to protect their rice markets from
illegal GMO contamination.

“Uncle Sam Texas Long Grain” however, continues to be sold in
Philippine supermarkets. The NFA, the state grains trading firm,
aside from being the country’s leading rice importer, also oversees
and regulates rice imports of farmers groups and traders. At the
height of the worldwide Bayer LL601 scandal last year, the NFA
issued a statement that they will monitor rice imports from the US
and prevent GMO-tainted varieties from entering the country.
However, the agency ignored the need to monitor GMO-tainted rice
already in Philippine shores. Up until now, the NFA refrains from
commenting and acting on “Uncle Sam Texas Long Grain.” Greenpeace
is demanding that the NFA recall the said GMO rice from the market,
and prevent further GMO contamination of the country’s staple
food.

              

“But the silence may in part be due to the government’s
favorable stance toward GMOs. Despite the global movement toward
the rejection of GMO rice, the government is on the brink of
approving an application for the first GMO rice in the Philippine
market. Bayer LL62, also genetically-modified to be herbicide
resistant, might soon be approved for human consumption,” said
Ocampo. “But the NFA must keep in mind that the global Bayer
contamination last year proved that GMO rice is risky, causing
massive financial damage to the global rice industry. The
commercial growing of GE rice must never become a reality; or its
impact on the our most important food crop would be
disastrous.”

“Since last year, Greenpeace has repeatedly alerted the NFA
about the presence in the market of GMO-tainted rice banned for
human consumption. But NFA consistently refused to respond to the
issue. Is the NFA deliberately turning a blind eye to GMO-rice
contamination? Or are they so monumentally inefficient they are
incapable of fulfilling their task of protecting the country’s food
supply and the interests of Filipino consumers? The NFA cannot
continue to be silent. Today, we are compelling them to publicly
answer this issue.”

Daniel Ocampo

Greenpeace Southeast Asia Genetic-Engineering campaigner

He added: “Along with governments from around the world, the
Philippines must respond to the economic, market and environmental
damage caused by the 2006 GMO rice contamination and reject
outright any GMO rice food and cultivation applications currently
on the table. GMO rice should not be developed as genetic
engineering is an unnecessary, unwanted, and

outdated technology that threatens the world’s most important
staple food.”


Know more about Genetically Modified Rice

More information on Bayer LL601

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