Bt corn: Toxic corn from Monsanto
�Boycott Bt corn!� was the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas� (KMP) urgent call in the face of the impending commercial growing and dissemination in the country this May of genetically modified corn products from Monsanto, a giant agro-chemical multinational company. Militant farmers continue to intensify their opposition to the Bureau of Plant Industry�s grant to Monsanto of various permits. They opposed Monsanto�s field testing in Bukidnon, Isabela, Camarines Sur and South Cotabato. In 2001, their mass actions featured uprooting Bt corn seedlings in different areas.
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In this regard, the KMP is currently urging Congress to pass into law three bills filed by Bayan Muna representatives. One of them, HB No. 3381, calls for suspending the entry, field testing and dissemination of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in the country while there has been no thorough evaluation of their safety and their producers� compliance with health and environmental protection standards.
Aside from Bayan Muna representatives, former Sen. Wigberto Ta�ada, the Catholic archbishops of Iloilo and Bohol, Sen. Bob Bown of Australia, former US Peace Corps volunteer Andrew Halaram as well as actors and actresses, academics, scientists and a number of legislators expressed support for a hunger strike conducted by peasant leaders and environmentalists in front of the Department of Agriculture. The hunger strike began on April 22 and ended on May 21.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines and the College Editors Guild of the Philippines likewise supported the hunger strike. In solidarity, a thousand farmers from Los Ba�os, Laguna and more than 500 from Leyte, Negros and Iloilo launched their own hunger strike. Supportive mass actions were also held in Baguio City, Davao del Sur, South Cotabato and the Caraga region.
Bane to the people. Monsanto�s genetically modified corn, more commonly known by its brand name YieldGard, has a gene from the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) microbe. The Bt gene gives corn the ability to create a toxin lethal to the Asiatic corn borer pest.
Although Bt corn will initially eradicate the Asiatic corn borer, it may also kill off other non-destructive insects and other fauna.
Eventually, even the Asiatic corn borer may develop resistance to Bt corn, and will thus be more difficult to eradicate. Worse, native corn varieties in surrounding areas may be pollinated and their species vanquished by Bt corn. Because Bt corn was designed not to produce seeds for reproduction, farmers are obliged to buy seeds from Monsanto every planting season.
Farmers in the US and Mexico are now reeling from such detrimental effects because Bt corn was first disseminated in their countries. Studies are being conducted on indications that certain deleterious effects on human health such as stomach and colon cancer, birth defects and nervous disorders have been caused by GMO products.
Opposition from other countries. Due to such negative effects, countries in the European Union and in Asia (except for the Philippines) have imposed moratoriums on the dissemination of Bt corn. The US and Canada have stopped importing genetically modified corn, soya and cotton since 2000. Tasmania, one of Australia�s states, has also imposed a moratorium on GMO products.
In the US itself, members of the American Corn Growers Association are strongly opposed to GMO. They have asked the US Environmental Protection Agency to seriously rethink its decision to allow Monsanto to market Bt corn.
Despite intensifying and expanding protests, the Arroyo regime will push through with its plans to grow and market Bt corn and other GMO products commercially. AB
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