Global Status of Biotech Crops and the Philippine Adoption Experience

The Philippines is the first country to plant a biotech crop in Southeast Asia and has become a model for science-based biosafety regulation in the region. In 2019, Filipino farmers boosted the area planted to biotech maize. Global biotech crop adoption in 2019 and the Philippine experience on biotech crops is presented through a webinar on December 14, 2020, at 10 AM (GMT+8) via Zoom.

The webinar covers the highlights of the ISAAA report on Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops in 2019 including the following:

• global area of biotech crops from 1996 to 2019;
• global adoption rates of principal crops;
• trends in approvals of GM events; and
• Filipino farmers' experience in biotech adoption.

The global report is presented by Dr. Paul Teng, ISAAA Board Chair. Africa's experiences in biotech research and adoption is discussed by Dr. Margaret Karembu, ISAAA AfriCenter Director. Dr. Richard Torno shares his experiences in planting Bt corn. Gerald Mores, President of the University of the Philippines League of Agricultural Biotechnology Students, tackles the youth's perspective on the future of biotech.

The webinar will be hosted by ISAAA SEAsiaCenter. Dr. Rhodora Romero-Aldemita, ISAAA SEAsiaCenter Director, serves as the moderator of the discussions