Philippines: A second country has approved genetically modified eggplants

The Philippines has become the second country after Bangladesh to approve the cultivation of genetically modified eggplants for animal feed, according to Far Eastern Agriculture. A statement from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) said the Philippines has officially granted regulatory approval for the commercial cultivation of Bt eggplant, becoming the second country after Bangladesh to approve the splicing of a pest-resistant gene taken from Bacillus thuringiensis. First developed in India, Bt eggplant contains a natural protein from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that makes it resistant to the eggplant fruit borer (EFSB), known as the crop's most damaging insect. The Philippine Council for Agricultural, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) noted that the Bt protein is actually safe for humans, animals and other arthropods because it is highly specific for EFSB larvae. It is noted that Bt eggplants, although bred in ...