Genetically modified crops - Many conflicting opinions

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has officially allowed the cultivation of four genetically modified (GM) corn varieties for human food and animal feed in Vietnam. However, up to now, there are still many concerns among Vietnamese scientists before GM corn varieties are put into mass cultivation.

Increase productivity and economic efficiency

In mid-August 2014, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat signed a decision to grant Certificates of Eligibility for 4 GM corn varieties for use as food and animal feed, including: MON 89034 and NK603 of Dekalb Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Monsanto); Bt 11 and MIR162 of Syngenta Vietnam Co., Ltd. This decision aims to restructure the agricultural sector and reduce the burden of importing raw materials for animal feed production in Vietnam.

Scientists support the idea that planting GM crops will increase productivity and economic efficiency for farmers. GM crops help farmers reduce the use of pesticides, increase biodiversity and protect the environment.

Genetically modified corn yields 8-11 tons/ha, 40-60% higher than non-genetically modified corn.

“In the Mekong Delta, there is a new genetically modified rice variety with very good characteristics such as antioxidants, easy to grow, rich in zinc, rich in iron, resistant to pesticides, etc. If these rice varieties are popularized, it will increase productivity and economic efficiency for farmers. Therefore, we should proactively select genes to breed better crops,” said Prof. Dr. Nguyen Lan Dung, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Biology.

According to Mr. Dung, there are currently 27 countries in the world, including 19 developed countries and 8 developing countries, using genetically modified foods in production and daily life. Of the more than 4 billion people, many poor people benefit from genetically modified foods.

“GM foods do not contain any toxins and have not caused any harm to humans. GM foods have been tested and are allowed to be used. The problem of allergies to GM foods exists, but the number is very small. Researchers are looking for ways to overcome this problem. Many people worry that GM foods will make them resistant to antibiotics, but this is completely untrue,” Mr. Dung shared.

According to the Vietnam Agricultural Genetics Institute, currently, there are 11 countries in the world that have created GM crops. Academies in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia... and scientific organizations in other countries carefully review GM food products with extremely strict testing processes, to create safe, sustainable products with no side effects.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, we have completed the legal framework for biosafety assessment and issued a circular regulating the process and procedures for granting and revoking certificates of GM plants eligible for use as food and animal feed. Recently, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment also issued a circular on biosafety assessment of GM crops and held a Biosafety Council meeting to assess GM crops. These are signals to "open the door" for GM crops to enter the fields.

More research needed

However, on this issue, some other scientists believe that Vietnam needs to conduct more research and prove the impacts of GM crops before allowing mass planting. In addition, economic benefits need to be considered before being popularized to farmers.

Prof. Dr. Tran Dinh Long, Chairman of the Vietnam Plant Breeding Association, said: “The new corn variety licensed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development only has the main feature of being resistant to herbicides (for example, when we spray herbicides, the corn plants do not die), but the yield does not increase much. Therefore, the introduction of GM corn into mass cultivation needs to consider the benefits. Otherwise, we will be dependent on foreign seed sources and foreign herbicides.”

According to Mr. Long, Vietnam has corn varieties that yield 8-10 tons/ha. The problem is that production is not well organized, for example, there is not enough irrigation water, so the yield is not high. "We are researching some drought-resistant corn varieties, if successful, it will help increase productivity faster," Mr. Long affirmed.

Talking about the planting of GM crops in countries around the world, Mr. Long said: There are still many conflicting debates about GM crops in countries, some countries allow them to be planted freely, some countries allow them to be planted but they must be labeled as GM. Some countries completely ban them. In particular, France, Japan... are developed industrial countries that have banned the planting and import of GM foods, which is also a factor that makes us consider whether to plant these crops on a large scale or not. Therefore, for now, Vietnam should not rush to plant GM crops en masse. It is necessary to invest in research, produce our own varieties, and then consider widespread planting.

Furthermore, “The evidence of the impact of GM crops on health is still inconclusive, not to mention what types of pests and diseases will develop after planting these crops,” Mr. Long added.

The Vietnam Association of Food Science and Technology has just released a report on the current status of genetically modified foods. According to this report, compared to previous years, the growth rate of genetically modified crops in the world has decreased, which is not entirely coincidental. In Vietnam, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development previously planned to widely plant genetically modified corn in 2012, but it was not until 2015 that this was implemented.

In addition, many developed countries in Europe such as France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, etc. are banning the cultivation and import of GM foods. Thailand allows GM foods to be present in the market, but the media must provide two-way information to disseminate knowledge to the people. China used to encourage GM foods, but has now had to limit and stop importing GM corn varieties.

According to the Vietnam Association of Food Science and Technology, a few years ago, a Vietnamese agricultural product exported to Japan containing ingredients from genetically modified plants was opposed. Therefore, the cultivation of genetically modified plants may cause difficulties for the export of Vietnamese agricultural products to some countries.

An investigation by the Vietnam Association of Food Science and Technology also showed that there have been some reactions from domestic consumers. Typically, a booth in a large supermarket in Hanoi displayed a sign reading “Whole grain corn, non-GMO”. Some vegetable stores also confirmed that they do not use GMO seeds.

According to News