The first genetically-modified rice to be commercially available could be approved for production in the Philippines in two to 3 years, researchers said Tuesday, November 5, despite strong opposition from environmental groups. Officers of both the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Philippine government’s agriculture department said the newly-developed “golden rice” had completed field trials, despite vandalism at one test field. “Golden rice is coming. That is in the pipeline and a lot of the principal development and research has been completed,” said Achim Dobermann, deputy director-general of IRRI. Dobermann said that depending on the length of the approval process, it could take a minimum of “two to 3 years” before seeds are ready to be distributed to farmers. However many environmental groups oppose GMOs, saying they will have harmful side effects which will irreversibly spread even to non-GMO crops.
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