Malnutrition, Philippines and GM rice

[Doc Alan]

We hear more about obesity and its consequences these days. Malnutrition is still a serious concern, especially among children, in certain regions including the Philippines.

It’s estimated that there may be 4 million malnourished Filipino children, more than the numbers of obese children - although that’s on the increase.


• Rice is, of course, a staple food in much of Asia. Farmers have cultivated and bred it for thousands of years. Genetic modification ( GM ) offers possibilities of conferring resistance to pathogens ( nasty bugs ), tolerance to drought and other changing climatic conditions. GM modified crops have been grown commercially since the 1990’s - not without controversy and slow acceptance as a means of feeding an increasing world population on an essentially unchanging land area.

• Dietary deficiencies in countries like the Philippines are not just about too few calories, but also not enough key “ micronutrients “ – including vitamins such as Vitamin A. Of course vitamin supplements is one possible solution. The other is “ biofortification “ – developing staple crops rich in these micronutrients.


• Vitamin A is one of the “ fat soluble “ vitamins, present in butter, vegetable oils, dairy foods, liver and oily fish, which can be stored in the body – so it’s not essential to eat foods containing them every day. Vitamin A promotes good vision – and deficiency poor vision or blindness – while also maintaining healthy tissues. Plant foods may contain carotenoids such as beta-carotene which can be converted into Vitamin A in the body.


• “ Normal “ rice has insufficient Vitamin A, but has been genetically modified by inserting genes for beta-carotene into its DNA. So-called “ golden rice “ has been around since the late 1990’s but - such has been the resistance to introducing GM plants - it’s taken a long time to reach the stage of acceptance that a daily bowl of cooked golden rice could provide much of the recommended Vitamin A intake for each young person.


• Last year Greenpeace - in a typical example of such resistance - demanded a halt to field trials of GM golden rice in Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Norte and Camarines Sur – claiming it would “ contaminate “ conventional rice crops.

• At long last it seems that this strain of rice is about to be sown in the Philippines ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...gh-golden-rice ).



• Boosting levels of Vitamin A ( or beta-carotene ) in rice is one way of preventing deficiency and consequent loss of vision. Other crops, such as GM bananas, may follow, to help tackle not only Vitamin A but also other deficiencies. GM food and crops can be as safe as non-GM equivalents - it’s only speeding up and controlling the direction of natural selection.

[Jamesey]

I think that GM crops could be a real benefit, especially in developing countries. If crops can be developed to be reistant to disease, then farmers will need to use less perticides and chemicals.

More research is required, but any decisions on GM crops should be based on science, not scare-mongering stories from idiots who go around destroying the trials!

[imagine]

not knowing enough myself about gm crops, and any down sides to using it,

i kind of get thoughts of mass experimentation, being generations down the line before we find out kind of thoughts, but then everything we eat is meddled with anyway without our consent, if less or no pesticides are needed for these crops then i guess it balances out,
how many years have we been eating pesticides, the water the fish that its contaminated too, and everything else thats meddled with,
so i cant see that gm crops would do any worse . perhaps better

[Michael Parnham]

Lots suffering from malnutrition, yet why are the mum's so fat?

[fred]

More research is required, but any decisions on GM crops should be based on science, not scare-mongering stories from idiots who go around destroying the trials!

How can organic farmers continue to produce real food anymore once the old natural seed has been forever contaminated from GM crops? One gust of wind and its all over.
By the time the scientists are finished it will be far too late for protests(by the people you call idiots) etc as our food will be changed forever by then.
I have been trying to purchase NON hybrid corn for ages now as I like to save seed for the next season.. Cant find it anywhere here in the R.P so far so almost decided not to bother as sweetcorn these days tastes nothing like it did when I was a kid..
We are trying our best to grow organically here with Non hybrid seed (getting harder to find) with much success... Medium to long term,whats the point anyway?
Real food will be non existent probably in my lifetime.

[Steve.r]

We use both pesticides and fertilisers on our fields. Seems accepted and not a whiff of anyone bleating about the consequences.

[lordna]

How can organic farmers continue to produce real food anymore once the old natural seed has been forever contaminated from GM crops? One gust of wind and its all over.
By the time the scientists are finished it will be far too late for protests(by the people you call idiots) etc as our food will be changed forever by then.
I have been trying to purchase NON hybrid corn for ages now as I like to save seed for the next season.. Cant find it anywhere here in the R.P so far so almost decided not to bother as sweetcorn these days tastes nothing like it did when I was a kid..
We are trying our best to grow organically here with Non hybrid seed (getting harder to find) with much success... Medium to long term,whats the point anyway?
Real food will be non existent probably in my lifetime.

I agree Fred!

[Arthur Little]

Credit where it's overdue, Alan. Malnutrition is a subject that concerns - or OUGHT to concern - those of us who either live in, or are connected in a BIG way (i.e., through our personal relationships or whatever) with the Philippines.

Here in , there are very, very few of us who do not know where our next meal is coming from. Moreover, we're aware that, should we fall on hard times due to circumstances beyond our control - such as, for instance, unemployment - we can rely on State support. Most importantly, ever since the NHS came into being in 1948, we have been able to enjoy continuing access to free [at source] medical treatment in the event of deterioratng health, infirmity and/or as a consequence of the ageing process ... an enviable and invaluable facility that is NOT shared by ANY OTHER [even western] nations.

All of this we've come to take for granted ... turning a blind eye - often, unconsciously rather than deliberately - to the *plight of third world countries. Perhaps, again, *it's something we prefer to forget - "out of sight ... out of mind" - as we constantly strive to "keep up with the Jones's" in an increasingly materialistic society.

Oh ... I have to confess that I'm as guilty as the next person, in failing to contribute to threads like this one - possibly because, like others, I've felt unable to do so through sheer lack of knowledge on such matters - until your timely reminder. But, believe me, even if it doesn't always seem like it, your efforts on behalf of the members here are immeasurable and gratefully appreciated.

[lordna]

.....and what if, for instance, the recent demise in the Bee population was eventually found to be due to the introduction of GM crops? Scientists are completly baffled by this, but if it was then by the time its discovered it will be too late. No Bees equals no pollination which i am sure you are aware would be a disaster.
Once GM crops are out there , get eaten by insects, which inturn eaten by birds and so on, who knows what effect this could have. The introduction of GM crops is like playing with fire except the results are completly unknown. Rather than being the solution to poverty and starvation they could end up being a major contributor to World poverty and starvation.

[Jamesey]

By the time the scientists are finished it will be far too late for protests(by the people you call idiots) etc as our food will be changed forever by then.

So are you suggesting that we stop all research on GM crops and ban them?

It's OK for those of us who can afford to grow and eat organic food, but many in the world are struggling just to survive and GM crops could be a solution.

[fred]

It's OK for those of us who can afford to grow and eat organic food, but many in the world are struggling just to survive and GM crops could be a solution.

I live in a so called third world country and I am surrounded by poor people,many that are living on inherited land.. There are millions and millions of hectares of land throughout the R.P that are left fallow as many of the people here seem too lazy to grow their own vegetables.
My brother in law lives with us but comes from Luzon..He is different.. Since he has been here he produces enough veg on 50 sqr meters of land to feed a family of ten..(Me included)..The locals are amazed and slowly slowly he is educating them and giving them ideas how to start their own small gardens..
Its OK for people like you that can afford to purchase your food from Asda... Over here ,us locals need to think a little more out of the box!!

So are you suggesting that we stop all research on GM crops and ban them?

It makes no difference what I suggest.. The scientists will continue to experiment with food crops and use us as guinea pigs.
Here in the Philippines,Doctors are handing out antibiotics like they are sweets to treat the sick..
Imagine the antibiotic gene modification in your new food these days.. Doesn't it worry you that this could lead to our bodies eventually becoming more and more resistant to antibiotic prescriptions in the future?
How can the poor afford to purchase the new drugs that the science and pharmaceutical companies will need to produce?? (at huge profits).
They tell us they know whats best for us.. I dont trust them.
I already know whats best for me.

[fred]

.....and what if, for instance, the recent demise in the Bee population was eventually found to be due to the introduction of GM crops? Scientists are completly baffled by this, but if it was then by the time its discovered it will be too late. No Bees equals no pollination which i am sure you are aware would be a disaster.
Once GM crops are out there , get eaten by insects, which inturn eaten by birds and so on, who knows what effect this could have. The introduction of GM crops is like playing with fire except the results are completly unknown. Rather than being the solution to poverty and starvation they could end up being a major contributor to World poverty and starvation.

Agreed!!.. Its like a horror movie...and we are the extra`s!!

[imagine]

one big test lab , earth

[Steve.r]

But malnutrician is also a product of the failure of the government to stop the population from rising out of control, ie, not so many mouths to feed, more to go around. Whichever way we look at this, there are always the rights and wrongs of for each view on GM foods. To be honest, all we eat today has been modified over the years, albeit by natural selection and man's need to produce more profit. But today's needs are to feed the millions who just don't have enough.

[Doc Alan]

The topics of my thread concerned malnutrition ,the Philippines and the news that genetically modified ( GM ) rice might help alleviate vitamin A deficiency.

• Poor nutrition, measles and premature birth are the leading causes of preventable blindness in the Philippines. Cataract is the most important. Vitamin A deficiency is significant, while rare in the western world. Many malnourished children worldwide become blind each year due to vitamin A deficiency that could have been prevented with a proper diet. Of course GM rice is not the only answer. Vitamin supplements are relatively cheap and have had some success in Nepal and some African countries.


• Antibiotic resistance is a worry to health professionals not only in the Philippines but also in UK and worldwide. The causes are irresponsible sale / prescribing, and inappropriate demand by patients for conditions which can’t be treated by such drugs ( which themselves may be wrong or fake ). “ Bugs “ can respond by mutation and natural selection FAR faster than “ untrustworthy scientists “ can develop new antibiotics, or seek to genetically modify crops. It’s part of a global concern about improving health, rather than a problem specific to malnutrition.



• “ Colony collapse disorder “ ( decline since 2006 of bee colonies ) is bad for honey lovers, and also for farmers who rely on bees to pollinate many of their crops. Pesticides may be to blame – research continues and obviously it’s another factor which may contribute to future malnutrition.


• Those members who have carefully read – and hopefully understood – the “ bullet points “ in my first post here know that malnutrition is neither specific to the Philippines, nor is there one solution. Mistrust of scientists and health professionals doesn’t help. Most are motivated to seek an evidence base for what they say, and even if not all are entirely altruistic ( who is ? ), at least try to improve the health of the population they serve.


• GM is only ONE of a broad category of interventions – technologies for global health - that seek to reduce malnutrition, improve sanitation, and increase safety on roads. This is in parallel with health technologies designed to prevent, diagnose, or treat illness – from highly specific ( vaccines, properly used antibiotics / anti-cancer drugs ) to more widely applicable ( blood pressure monitors ). Most health problems are best addressed by a combination of technologies and clinical skills. They MUST be evidence-based to meet the needs of the world’s poorest people. So-called “ frugal technology “ is a priority especially where resources are limited.




• By 2050 there could be 9 billion people on this planet. They need to be fed on about the same land area as we use today, using carefully controlled fertilisers, water and pesticides - in the context of increasing life expectancies and changing climate.


• Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are major causes of death worldwide and now underlie about two-thirds of all global deaths. ALL countries face epidemics of these diseases - but low-income and middle-income countries - and the poorest / most vulnerable populations within them - are affected the most. There is a global imperative to create and implement effective prevention strategies, so that the future costs of diagnosis and treatment don't become unaffordable.



• The priority NCDs are diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The risk factors ( mainly adult ) are poor diet ( too much, too little, wrong balance ), physical inactivity, tobacco use, and alcohol consumption. Prenatal nutrition, maternal diseases, and air pollution are others. Don’t knock the scientists ( or the only doctor spending time contributing to this forum ) without evidence to back it up !