The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has just signedDecision 1836/QD-BTNMT on the issuance of bio-safety certificate for thegenetically modified corn MON 89034 of Dekalb Vietnam Company Limited, asubsidiary in Vietnam of global seedling group Monsanto, the VietnamInvestment Review reported on September 3.
This is by far thefirst and only genetically modified corn that has ever been granted sucha certificate by this state body (MoNRE).
Prior to thismilestone, MON 89034 also received a certificate from the Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development (MARD) which acknowledged that thisproduct is qualified as food and animal feed.
Thus far, MON 89034is the first and only genetically modified corn that was awarded boththe bio-safety certificate and the certificate on food safety and animalfeed.
Each genetically modified plant must be carefully reviewedand assessed in term of risks by an expert team and then be approved bythe National Bio-Safety Council that it is safe to the environment andbiological diversification in accordance with the procedures regulatedin Circular 08/2013/TT-BTNMT before it is subjected to obtain acertificate on bio-safety.
The development and finalisation oflegal framework for assessing the safety of genetically modified plantsin Vietnam have been conducted in systematic and science-based mannerwhich incorporates the advantages of the world's advanced safetymanagement systems for genetically modified plants.
The report onrisk assessment of genetically modified corn MON 89034 to environmentand biological diversification was prepared by Dekalb Vietnam based onthe research results which had been proved to be biologically safeworldwide as well as on both restricted and widely pilots of the productin Vietnamese conditions.
Before achieving the certificate onbio-safety in Vietnam, MON 89034 has been awarded the certificate ineight countries, including: Canada (2008), United States (2008), Japan(2008), Brazil (2009), Argentina (2010), South Africa (2010),Philippines (2010), and Honduras (2010).
Currently, imported corncosts Vietnam more than 1 billion USD per year to meet the increasingdemand of local husbandry activities, mainly from genetically modifiedcorn-producing countries.
The recent move has, therefore,reflected the commitment of the Vietnamese Government in promptly andcomprehensively addressing market development needs; it has also createdopportunities for Vietnamese farmers to get access to the world'sadvanced technologies.
It has been proved that geneticallymodified plants bring about positive socio-economic and environmentalbenefits to a large number of countries in the world.
During1996-2012, genetically modified plants created more than 100 billion USDof accumulated economic benefits for the world and contributed toreduce 503 million kg of pesticides thanks to their anti-worm technologywhich was recently awarded the bio-safety certificate in Vietnam.
Despitethe 20 year gap in experience between Vietnam and the first countriesto apply this technology, Vietnam is seizing a "shortcut" opportunity tomaster and apply this advanced agricultural technology.
MON89034 is the second generation of anti-Lepidoptera genetically modifiedplant with prevailing advantages in comparison to the first generationwhich was proved to benefit farmers and agriculture sector of countriesworldwide.
More importantly, MON 89034 promotes the control ofthe worm resistance development in long-term thanks to its accumulatedimpacts on worm control.
This improved genetic technology couldhelp release Vietnamese farmers from the yield damage caused by worms aswell as from the negative health impacts due to pesticide consumption.-VNA
This is by far thefirst and only genetically modified corn that has ever been granted sucha certificate by this state body (MoNRE).
Prior to thismilestone, MON 89034 also received a certificate from the Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development (MARD) which acknowledged that thisproduct is qualified as food and animal feed.
Thus far, MON 89034is the first and only genetically modified corn that was awarded boththe bio-safety certificate and the certificate on food safety and animalfeed.
Each genetically modified plant must be carefully reviewedand assessed in term of risks by an expert team and then be approved bythe National Bio-Safety Council that it is safe to the environment andbiological diversification in accordance with the procedures regulatedin Circular 08/2013/TT-BTNMT before it is subjected to obtain acertificate on bio-safety.
The development and finalisation oflegal framework for assessing the safety of genetically modified plantsin Vietnam have been conducted in systematic and science-based mannerwhich incorporates the advantages of the world's advanced safetymanagement systems for genetically modified plants.
The report onrisk assessment of genetically modified corn MON 89034 to environmentand biological diversification was prepared by Dekalb Vietnam based onthe research results which had been proved to be biologically safeworldwide as well as on both restricted and widely pilots of the productin Vietnamese conditions.
Before achieving the certificate onbio-safety in Vietnam, MON 89034 has been awarded the certificate ineight countries, including: Canada (2008), United States (2008), Japan(2008), Brazil (2009), Argentina (2010), South Africa (2010),Philippines (2010), and Honduras (2010).
Currently, imported corncosts Vietnam more than 1 billion USD per year to meet the increasingdemand of local husbandry activities, mainly from genetically modifiedcorn-producing countries.
The recent move has, therefore,reflected the commitment of the Vietnamese Government in promptly andcomprehensively addressing market development needs; it has also createdopportunities for Vietnamese farmers to get access to the world'sadvanced technologies.
It has been proved that geneticallymodified plants bring about positive socio-economic and environmentalbenefits to a large number of countries in the world.
During1996-2012, genetically modified plants created more than 100 billion USDof accumulated economic benefits for the world and contributed toreduce 503 million kg of pesticides thanks to their anti-worm technologywhich was recently awarded the bio-safety certificate in Vietnam.
Despitethe 20 year gap in experience between Vietnam and the first countriesto apply this technology, Vietnam is seizing a "shortcut" opportunity tomaster and apply this advanced agricultural technology.
MON89034 is the second generation of anti-Lepidoptera genetically modifiedplant with prevailing advantages in comparison to the first generationwhich was proved to benefit farmers and agriculture sector of countriesworldwide.
More importantly, MON 89034 promotes the control ofthe worm resistance development in long-term thanks to its accumulatedimpacts on worm control.
This improved genetic technology couldhelp release Vietnamese farmers from the yield damage caused by worms aswell as from the negative health impacts due to pesticide consumption.-VNA
