GMO-free zones proposal backed

Provincial governments are endorsing the establishment of GMO-free zones in the Philippines. Participants in a national agriculture conference have endorsed the establishment of the GMO (genetically-modified organism) free zones and have declared a bias for sustainable agriculture as the only way to achieving real food security for the country.

Representatives of provincial agriculture offices were among the participants in a national conference on sustainable Arable agriculture and GMO-free zones held recently at the Ateneo de Manila campus in Quezon City.

Among the provinces that attended the conference were Abra, Isabela, Camarines Norte, Mindoro, Palawan, Misamis Occidental, Agusan del Norte, Cebu, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Bohol,

Greenpeace, organizer of the conference, urged local governments to make their provinces GMO-free. Greenpeace Southeast Asia genetic engineering campaigner Daniel Ocampo said the National Government "should priotize local efforts towards GMO-free and work for the interest of local farmers instead of willfully killing sustainable agriculture with its obvious bias toward true GMO crops that have been developed and patented commercially

The province of Bohol had passed a resolution banning the entry of GMOs in 2003, becoming the first GMO-free island in the Philippines. The provinces of MIMAROPA also banned the entry of GMOs in their area.

Last year, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental signed a memorandum of agreement in pursuit of their shared vision to become the "Organic Island of the Philippines."