For millions of people in Asia, rice is not just a daily source of calories, it is a part of their culture and heritage. "If we let the agrochemical industry take over our rice production systems, not only will our food security be at the mercy of profit hungry transnational corporations (TNCs), but also our culture, our land and our livelihoods," says Sarojeni Rengam, Executive Director of Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP).

Facing increasing rejection, the biotech industry, in its latest strategy, appears to be attempting to do this by gift wrapping its latest developments in genetically engineered rice in the guise of ‘developing world friendly’ concerns.

Promoting the welfare of small-marginalised farmers and working towards alleviating global malnutrition is the catchcry of the latest genetically engineered rice crop—high yield vitamin A rice or ‘golden rice’. Targeted for distribution to Asian farmers, ‘free’ of charge and ‘without restrictions’, ‘golden rice’ is being touted as a miracle cure for blindness—"a break through in the efforts to improve the health of billions of poor people, most of them in Asia."

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) will be one of the agencies involved in the transfer of the ‘golden rice’ trait to local hybrid varieties.

Rafael Mariano, Chairperson of KMP (Peasant Movement of the Philippines) says: "Research and development into genetically engineered rice undertaken by IRRI, like blight and blast resistant (BB) rice, is partly funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, the same supporter of the infamous and unsuccessful ‘miracle rice’ of the 1960s."

Ms. Rengam, objects to the exploitation of the image of the poor and hungry as a public relations strategy to push a technology that is unsafe, unethical, exploitative, environmentally unfriendly and of no benefit economically to small-marginalised farmers.

"Golden rice’ is really about clouding the real issues of poverty and the control of resources, serving to fast-track the wide scale acceptance and release of genetically engineered rice varieties throughout Asia" comments Mika Iba, Coordinator of the Japanese based Network for Safe and Secure Food and the Environment (NESSFE).

According to Philippines based MASIPAG, a farmer scientist coalition promoting organic and sustainable agriculture, the biotech industry and its allies already have 160 patent claims on rice with half belonging to the top 13 companies. Since 1986 an apomixis gene* for hybrid rice production; nitrogen (N)-fixing rice; Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) rice; BB rice; a perennial rice variety*; and micronutrient (vitamin A, iron and zinc) fortified rice strains have been, or are being developed.

Mr. Mariano says: "The powerful biotech industry is aggressively targeting southern agriculture, particularly rice, in an effort to open this lucrative market and take it over by creating dependency on agricultural genetic engineering technology."

To alert millions of people, particularly farmers and consumers, to the latest developments in genetic engineering, various farmers groups and anti-pesticide advocates across the Asia-Pacific region will hold a People ‘s Caravan – "Citizens on the Move for Land and Food Without Poisons!" from November 13-30.

Travelling through India, Bangladesh and the Philippines, the caravan aims to give these people a voice in counteracting and choosing alternatives to the exploitative, profit-driven motives of agrochemical TNCs.

According to Ms. Rengam: "The People’s Caravan will inform farmers and consumers of local initiatives towards more sustainable healthy agriculture that embrace local/ traditional knowledge and practices as alternatives to corporate dependent systems."

*Explanatory notes: The apomixis gene will give the hybrid plant the ability produce offspring with the same traits as the parent as reproduction will be independent of the union of male and female floral parts (Source: Mga Magsasaka at Siyentipiko Para sa Ikauunlad ng Agham Pang-Agrikultura (MASIPAG). MASIPAG News & Views. 2000. ‘GE Rice: Asian Farmers have everything to Lose’).

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