A court in Manila has halted the commercialization of genetically modified golden grain because it believes that” severe” health and environmental health problems are brought on by contradictory scientific findings.
In a pay to battle childhood blindness, the Philippines was the first nation in the world to approve beautiful rice, which contains the vitamin A precursor beta-carotene and is vivid yellow.
After 14 opposition parties filed a problem, the Court of Appeals in Manila revoked a biosafety force issued in 2021 for the commercial production of rice.
The judge’s ruling, issued on Apr 17 and seen by AFP on Thursday, even applies to a genetically modified zucchini, BT zucchini, that is parasite resistant.
The court said that because of the conflicting academic viewpoints and difficulties regarding the risks and results of Golden Rice and Bt. Eggplant, possible serious and grave risks to the happiness of people and the environment arise.
Business propagation was prohibited “until such time as the troubled respondent government companies submit proof of security and compliance with all lawful requirements,” it said.
In the developing world, experts believe that the grain will aid in preventing childhood deafness and saving livelihoods.
According to World Health Organization statistics, vitamin A deficiency causes 500,000 cases of childhood myopia annually, with the majority in developing nations, where half of those who are blind pass away in 12 months.
The International Rice Research Institute ( IRRI ) and the Department of Agriculture’s ( Presidential Rice Research Institute ) have developed golden rice for the past 20 years, while the University of the Philippines Los Banos campus has developed BT eggplant.
Both are safe to eat, according to the professionals involved. In a statement, PhilRice executive producer John de Leon stated that the university was “reviewing the repercussions” of the decision in order to make its response.
Through rice research, the IRRI announced that it would continue to collaborate with PhilRice to “develop safe and effective health interventions.”
It also said beautiful grain had received “positive food safety assessments” from officials in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States.
However, environmental groups opposed to genetically modified food crops, and activists attacked at least one check area in the Philippines.
The critics who filed the criticism, including Greenpeace, welcomed the decision.
According to Greenpeace Southeast Asia advocate Wilhelmina Pelegrina,” This choice is a huge win for Filipino producers and Filipino people who have stood up against genetically modified crops for decades.”
” GM plants have never been proven healthy, and they have hampered important progress on climate resilient natural crops, which places the burden on our farmers to manage the seedlings.”
Beta-carotene is not present in the corn, but it is a cornerstone of hundreds of millions of people, especially in Asia.