THE TENSION BETWEEN PESTICIDES AND GM: A BT brinjal case study in the Philippines The Question This study aims to compare the costs and benefits of GM and conventional production of brinjal using a rigorous multidisciplinary approach. The question we seek to pose is: Is there any difference in health, environmental and economic markers between two demographically similar groups growing GM vs. conventional brinjal in the Philippines? Background BT brinjal is on the verge of commercial release in the Philippines. BT brinjal will provide an alternative for farmers to extensive use of pesticide in brinjal production. Estimates suggest up to a 75% reduction in pesticides can result from growing BT brinjal compared to conventional varieties . It’s widely known that pesticide use has detrimental heath and environmental effects and while the risks are largely un-quantified there are significant concerns about the possible effects on the commercial usage of GM in food crops. Research design A Case Control study will be undertaken. The Cases will be 600 farming families selected within a region of the Philippines growing genetically modified crops of eggplant. The Controls will be 600 farming families from a region of the Philippines not growing genetically modified eggplant matched for age grouping, and socioeconomic status. Exclusion criteria will include known previous: chronic medical condition, environmental or occupational exposure to pesticides. A prospective cohort study will then be undertaken on both cases and controls for five years. Parameters of both qualitative and quantitative evaluation will be performed yearly. Methods for evaluation: Quantitative: urinalysis, serology and breast milk analysis Soil analysis, insect counts, will be done yearly Qualitative: self-reported health survey Self-reported annual income from crops Janice Wiley, Rhys Grinter, Mehdi Maqbool, Julia Freeman, Xiaochen Zheng Significance Provision an empirical basis for the evaluation of Bt brinjal’s Performance, as opposed to conventional production. by contrasting specific health, environment al and economic indicators. Provision of evidence new evidence to assist Phillippine Farmers and regulators in agri-decision making regarding brinjal. Formation of new directions for research regarding in situ application of genetically engineered crops. Figure 1: Example of brinjal (also know as eggplant and aubergine) at market References •Tsai, Wen-Tien. Current status and regulatory aspects of pesticides considered to be persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Taiwan International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health [Electronic Resource]. 7(10):3615-27, 2010 Oct. •Ministry of Environmental Forests, Genetic Engineering Approval Committee 2009, Report of the Expert Committee (EC-II) on Brinjal Event EE-1 Developed by : M/s Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company Ltd. (Mahyco), Mumbai; University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad; and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbarore, Government of India , New Delhi

A BT brinjal case study in the Philippines - nottingham.ac.uk · THE TENSION BETWEEN PESTICIDES AND GM: A BT brinjal case study in the Philippines The Question This study aims to

Download PDF Report

Upload
danghanh
View
218
Download
0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: A BT brinjal case study in the Philippines - nottingham.ac.uk · THE TENSION BETWEEN PESTICIDES AND GM: A BT brinjal case study in the Philippines The Question This study aims to

THE TENSION BETWEEN PESTICIDES AND GM:A BT brinjal case study in the Philippines

The QuestionThis study aims to compare the costs and benefits of GM and conventional production of brinjal using a rigorous multidisciplinary approach. The question we seek to pose is: Is there any difference in health, environmental and economic markers between two demographically similar groups growing GMvs. conventional brinjal in the Philippines?

BackgroundBT brinjal is on the verge of commercial release in the Philippines. BT brinjal will provide an alternative for farmers to extensive use of pesticide in brinjal production. Estimates suggest up to a 75% reduction in pesticides can result from growing BT brinjalcompared to conventional varieties . It’s widely known that pesticide use has detrimental heath and environmental effects and while the risks are largely un-quantified there are significant concerns about the possible effects on the commercial usage of GM in food crops.

Research designA Case Control study will be undertaken. The Cases will be 600 farming families selected within a region of the Philippines growing genetically modified crops of eggplant. The Controls will be 600 farming families from a region of the Philippines not growing genetically modified eggplant matched for age grouping, and socioeconomic status.Exclusion criteria will include known previous: chronic medical condition, environmental or occupational exposure to pesticides.A prospective cohort study will then be undertaken on both cases and controls for five years. Parameters of both qualitative and quantitative evaluation will be performed yearly.

Methods for evaluation:Quantitative: urinalysis, serology and breast milk analysis

Soil analysis, insect counts, will be done yearlyQualitative: self-reported health survey

Self-reported annual income from crops

Janice Wiley, Rhys Grinter, Mehdi Maqbool, Julia Freeman, Xiaochen Zheng

Significance Provision an empirical basis for the evaluation of Bt brinjal’sPerformance, as opposed to conventional production. by contrasting specific health, environment al and economic indicators.

Provision of evidence new evidence to assist PhillippineFarmers and regulators in agri-decision making regarding brinjal.

Formation of new directions for research regarding in situ application of genetically engineered crops.

Figure 1: Example of brinjal (also know as eggplant and aubergine) at market

References•Tsai, Wen-Tien. Current status and regulatory aspects of pesticides considered to be persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Taiwan International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health [Electronic Resource]. 7(10):3615-27, 2010 Oct.•Ministry of Environmental Forests, Genetic Engineering Approval Committee 2009, Report of the Expert Committee (EC-II) on Brinjal Event EE-1 Developed by : M/s Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company Ltd. (Mahyco), Mumbai; University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad; and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbarore, Government of India , New Delhi