Philippine Conference Participants Declare Support to Biotechnology

More than 275 researches, development workers and extensionists across the Philippines have expressed their support to biotechnology through a declaration read by the incoming President of the Crop Science Society of the Philippines Dr. Leoncia Tandang. The declaration made during the closing ceremonies of the 21^st Federation of Crop Science Societies of the Philippines Scientific Conference in Legazpi City, include among other things, the statement, "Develop and support various production technologies including agri-biotechnology, conventional and organic; support the conduct of independent trials and field tests to prove the efficiency of the technology; promote co-existence of these technologies; and strengthen science-based information to allow stakeholders in making informed choice."

The declaration also include statements to promote public-private partnerships, utilization, and conservation of marginal lands and biodiversity, development of efficient farm mechanization tools and the utilization of advanced modern information tools to reach the many food production workers. These are all strategies in the attainment of Millennium Development Goals that would lower the number of hungry and poor people into half and would protect and conserve the natural environment.

For more on the Conference, contact knowledge.center@isaaa.org.