Monsanto may still lose its license to commercialize Bt corn — Montemayor

Monsanto Philippines Inc. (MPI) may still lose its license to commercialize Bt corn production in the country because the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) failed to concur with the secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) before the controversial approval was made.

Former Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor said current DA chief Luis Lorenzo Jr. should review the recent approval of MPI’s application to start commercial production of Bt corn saying BPI violated standard operating procedures that required it to first inform the DA head before the license was issued.

"There could be grounds for Secretary Lorenzo to revoke the license issued to Monsanto because the last step toward the approval required the BPI to consult with the agriculture secretary which they did not do," said Montemayor.

"The permit was clearly, hastily approved," added Montemayor.

At the time of the approval of MPI’s application, Montemayor was still the DA head. A chronology of the events leading to the issuance of MPI’s license showed that on Dec. 2 this year, the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Products Standards (BAFPS) and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) submitted to BPI Director Blo Umpar Adiong their recommendation to approve MPI’s application.

On Dec. 3, Adiong met the core team and posed questions regarding the risks assessment of Bt corn. The following day, Adiong awarded the certification for propagation to MPI.

Monsanto applied for the commercialization of Bt corn with the BPI last Sept. 15. Earlier, it applied with the National Committee and Biosafety of the Philippines to conduct multi-locational testing in several sites in the country.

"As per guidelines earlier established, the BPI should have consulted with the secretary because if there are problems later on, that would be my responsibility, but I was never informed," said Montemayor.

Another critical issue which still needs to be addressed is the requirement for MPI to devote at least 20 percent of its area planted to Bt corn with hybrid corn or traditional corn varities. The guidelines for this however, have not yet been established by the BPI.

This requirement, practiced in Bt corn producing nations such as the US, is necessary to prevent corn borers from mutating to a highly-resistant pest referred to as "super corn borers."

Montemayor urged Lorenzo to review the process of MPI’s application to commercialize Bt "to make sure that all issues nd concerns raised by opposing parties are adequately addressed or resolved."

The ex-DA chief said that opposing groups still have the chance to appeal for the revocation of MPI’s license.

Under Administrative Order 8 issued by the DA last April which spells out the rules and regulations for the importation and release of plant and plant product derived from the use of modern biotechnology, protesters have at least 15 days after the license was approved to appeal to the DA to reconsider the decision.

MPI’s license is valid for five years, and is renewable for successive five-year periods if the applicant can prove that continued production of the regulated product does not pose any significant risks to health and the environment. – Rocel Felix