Abstract
This descriptive research was undertaken to unveil the perception of the local farmers in Magalang, Pampanga towards GM crops with the aid of a written survey instrument administered to respondents from February to March 2014.In general, it was observed that despite inadequate information regarding GM crops, their implication and impact on human health, environment and economy, and their ambivalent view about the improved nutritional quality and other health benefits of GM crops, the farmers in Magalang, Pampanga consider GM crops safe for human consumption and a solution for food security. The respondents are very positive with regards to the improved yield and low production cost that these GM crops can offer. This suggests that the local farmers are primarily concerned with the quantity of produce as well as profit of their farming activity, their business and livelihood, rather than the quality of the produce in terms of effect on human health and the environment. Lastly, the local farmers are willing to accept, to adopt and to patronize GM crops. Findings from this research can serve as a basis for an intervention program that the local government or other organizations can initiate to address local farmers’ perception regarding GM crops.
Highlights
The introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops to the market in the mid-1990s [1] has led to one of the most controversial issues today,in the agricultural science community-the alteration or modification of the genetic material of crops for increase productivity, and performance as well as the adjustment of their nutritional value
This descriptive research was undertaken to unveil the perception of the local farmers in Magalang, Pampanga towards GM crops with the aid of a written survey instrument administered to respondents from February to March 2014.In general, it was observed that despite inadequate information regarding GM crops, their implication and impact on human health, environment and economy, and their ambivalent view about the improved nutritional quality and other health benefits of GM crops, the farmers in Magalang, Pampanga consider GM crops safe for human consumption and a solution for food security
These results clearly suggest that, in general, the local farmers in Magalang, Pampanga, those that are from the selected barangays, think that they do not have enough technical background with respect to the emergence of GM crops, their implication and impact on human health, environment and economy
Summary
The introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops to the market in the mid-1990s [1] has led to one of the most controversial issues today,in the agricultural science community-the alteration or modification of the genetic material of crops for increase productivity , and performance as well as the adjustment of their nutritional value. Some GM crops have improved nutritional value that are deficient from the diets of the populace such as the golden rice with enhanced levels of ß-carotene that helps prevent vitamin A deficiency [4]. In biopharmaceutical, plants such as potatoes have been genetically modified to produce vaccines that are edible against pathogenic E. coli [4, 5] and in Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research at Cornell University, banana trees and tomato plants have been genetically engineered to generate vaccines in their fruit [6]. There have been no study conducted with regards to farmers’ perception on the utilization of GM crops in a rural area, in the town of Magalang, Pampanga, Philippines; this study
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