biotechnology and the government
TRANSCRIPT
BIOTECHNOLOGY
Biotechnology is the use of living systems and organisms to develop or
make useful products, or “any technological application uses
biological system, living organisms or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products of processes for specific use.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND GOVERNMENT
Biotechnology and government is the use of biology with technology for the use of government for the good of its citizens. It can be used
to improve their health, for agriculture and many more.
WHAT DOES NCBP STAND FOR?
NCBP stands for the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines, the country’s lead
regulatory agency tasked with the formulation and implementation of
biosafety policies and the monitoring of research activities and experiments being
conducted on LMOs.
WHY WAS IT ESTABLISHED?
In the 1990s, when new methods of genetic manipulation in plants,
microorganisms and animals were continuously being developed, the
Philippine government saw the need for the establishment of a body that would aid the country in harnessing the benefits of biotechnology while at the same ensuring
its safe and responsible application.
On March 2006, the function and scope of the Committee was further broadened and
strengthened through President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s issuance of Executive
Order No. 514 which decreed the establishment and implementation of a National Biosafety Framework. This was
initiated for the following reasons:
WHEN WAS IT ESTABLISHED?
a. Rapid expansion of the use of modern biotechnology;b. Growing concern over modern biotechnology’s potential impacts on the environment, human health as well as on social and cultural well-being;
c. Promote the safe and responsible use of modern biotechnology and its products as one of the several means to achieve and sustain food security, equitable access to health services, sustainable and safe environment and industry development;
d. Enhance the existing biosafety framework to better respond to the challenges presented by further advances in modern biotechnology and to comply with the administrative requirements of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
The countries biosafety regulatory system follows strict scientific
standards and has become a model for member-countries of the ASEAN
seeking to become producers of agricultural biotechnology crops.
WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS AND.POWERS.OF.NCPB?
Biosafety policy functionsAccountability functionsScientific functionsCapacity building functions
WHAT IS THE CARTAGENA BIOSAFETY PROTOCOL?
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CBP) is an international agreement on biosafety,
as a supplement to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Biosafety Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by genetically
modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology.
WHAT IS IRRI?
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is an international independent research and training organization with headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna in the Philippines and offices in
sixteen countries. The non-governmental organization (NGO) was established in 1960 to
develop new rice varieties and rice crop management techniques with finding
sustainable ways to improve the well-being of poor rice farmers and consumers as well as the
environment in mind.
WHAT IS PCAARRD?The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) is a council of the Department of Science and Technology of the Philippines government.
The council aims to help national research and development efforts in agriculture, forestry, and natural resources of the Philippines. It does so by assisting with planning strategies, formulating policies, and programs for development. It is the body responsible nationally for programming and allocating government and external funds for R&D, and monitors and evaluates these programs for effectiveness.
WHAT IS FDA?
The Food and Drug Administration of the or FDA, formerly the Bureau of Food and Drugs or BFAD) was created under the
Department of Health to license, monitor, and regulate the flow of food, drugs,
cosmetics, medical devices, and household hazardous waste in the
Philippines.
REGULATION OF THE RELEASE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
Governments have taken different approaches to assess and manage the risks associated with the use of genetic
engineering technology and the development and release of genetically modified organisms (GMO), including genetically
modified crops and genetically modified fish. There are differences in the regulation of GMOs between countries,
with some of the most marked differences occurring between the USA and Europe. Regulation varies in a given country depending on the intended use of the products of the genetic engineering. For example, a crop not intended
for food use is generally not reviewed by authorities responsible for food safety.
REGULATION OF THE RELEASE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
There is broad scientific consensus that food on the market derived from GM crops poses no
greater risk than conventional food. There is no evidence to support the idea that the
consumption of approved GM food has a detrimental effect on human health. Some scientists and advocacy groups, such as
Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund, have however called for additional and more rigorous
testing for GM food.
BIOTECHNOLOGY IN ASIAIndia and China are the two largest producers of
genetically modified products in Asia. India currently only grows GM cotton, while China produces GM varieties of
cotton, poplar, petunia, tomato, papaya and sweet pepper. Cost of enforcement of regulations in India are generally higher, possibly due to the greater influence farmers and
small seed firms have on policy makers, while the enforcement of regulations was more effective in China.
Other Asian countries that grew GM crops in 2011 were Pakistan, the Philippines and Myanmar. Japan requires
labeling so consumers can exercise choice between foods that have genetically modified, conventional or organic
origins.