Biotech Updates

Socioeconomic Impacts of Biotech Crops in Philippines and Indonesia

October 9, 2009

Substantial economic benefits are projected for research and development activities that have been undertaken to commercialize genetically modified products to solve major insect and disease problems in the Philippines and Indonesia. Bioengineered products such as transgenic papaya ringspot virus resistant papaya, insect resistant (Bt) eggplant, and multiple virus resistant (MVR) tomato in the Philippines, and late blight resistant potato, insect resistant (Bt) potato, and MVR tomato in Indonesia, are projected to earn high returns that justify the investments in their research and commercialization. These are forwarded in a book Projected Impacts of Agricultural Biotechnologies for Fruits and Vegetables in the Philippines and Indonesia, edited by Drs. George Norton and Desiree Hautea of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA and University of the Philippines Los Banos, respectively.

The book presents the projected level and distribution of costs and benefits associated with the featured biotech crops  based from a series of ex-ante impact assessment studies supported by the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSPII) and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA). The book is co-published by ISAAA and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).

Inquiries about the book can be made by emailing isaaa-seasia@isaaa.org or jap@agri.searca.org. The e-copy of the book  can be downloaded at http://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/default.html#projectedimpacts2009