Biotech Updates

NAST Philippines' Statement on the Golden Rice Multiloc Trial Destruction

September 25, 2013

The National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) Philippines released a statement regarding the anti-biotech groups' uprooting of Golden Rice plants under field trial in Camarines Sur last 8 August 2013. According to NAST, the disruption is "an act of sabotage of a lawfully and responsibly-conducted scientific experiment." The trials are being conducted for scientific inquiry and thus the incident disregards the hard work devoted towards finding results.

The field experiment in Camarines Sur is one of the 13 multilocational trials which started in 2012. At present field trials in nine locations have been completed and the results have shown that Golden Rice has no adverse effects on the environment. The sabotaged experiment in Camarines Sur could have been part of the third set of observations on the field performance of Golden Rice.

Golden Rice is genetically modified rice with increased beta carotene, a source of vitamin A.

Read NAST Philippines' statement at http://www.nast.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=451:nast-statement-on-golden-rice-trial-sabotage.