Malaysian Farmers and Environmentalists Unite to Oppose GMO Rice Experiment

KUALA LUMPUR – In a significant move, a coalition comprising farmers, consumer groups, and environmental advocates has called upon Malaysia’s National Biosafety Board to turn down a proposed trial of genetically modified rice. On Tuesday, these groups expressed concerns that the project might jeopardize food safety, harm the environment, and negatively impact the livelihood of farmers.

The board is meticulously reviewing Zen Cropscience’s application to conduct a confined field trial in Perak’s northern region. This trial involves a genetically altered MR219 rice variant, engineered to withstand the herbicide glyphosate and fend off diseases caused by bacterial and fungal agents.

On Tuesday, a coalition of 61 organizations officially lodged their opposition as part of a public consultation effort that concluded recently. They argued the current proposal mirrors a similar plan intended for a field trial in Perlis in 2019, which was eventually scrapped, reiterating their previous objections.

Highlighting their central worry, the groups pointed out the risk of genetically altered materials infiltrating conventional and wild rice species via cross-pollination or other means. They criticized Malaysia’s biosafety legislation for lacking adequate legal safeguards and compensation schemes for farmers who might face economic harm due to unintended contamination.

Additionally, farmers fear that these genetic modifications could lead to increased glyphosate usage. This, in turn, might accelerate the emergence of herbicide-resistant “super weeds,” compelling farmers to apply more herbicide. The groups also cautioned that glyphosate residues could linger on harvested rice, ultimately infiltrating the food chain.

The integration of a gene for fungal resistance is worrying as it could potentially compromise food safety by altering nutritional values or increasing allergenic and toxin levels, the coalition said.

Abdul Rashid Yob, who heads a farmers association representing 200,000 members nationwide, pointed to previous negative experience with the herbicide-tolerant Clearfield rice. While production initially improved, weeds quickly developed resistance, forcing farmers to use higher doses of herbicides, which raised production costs and degraded soil fertility, he said.

“GM rice will be much worse. It is not the answer,” he said.

Malaysia relies heavily on imported rice, with domestic production meeting only about half its national consumption needs, according to official data.

The National Biosafety Board has said the proposed trial would be carried out within an insect-proof contained net house on industrial land, far from agricultural areas. It has said the risk of cross-pollination is low and acknowledged the toxicological data for GMO rice hasn’t been ascertained. It is unclear when the board will make a final decision.

Although the application is for a confined field trial rather than commercial cultivation, the coalition said the research should be canceled because GMOs cannot be completely controlled once released into the environment.

“There is no need for such a trial. We don’t want GM crops,” said Mageswari Sangaralingam, from the Consumers Association of Penang.

The coalition said farmers have alternatives to genetically modified crops for managing weeds and disease, such as the use of robotic technology from Japan that could swiftly remove weeds.

The World Health Organization’s cancer research agency classified glyphosate in 2015 as “probably carcinogenic to humans,” based on limited evidence of cancer in humans and sufficient evidence from animal studies.

Other health and regulatory agencies have reached different conclusions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said glyphosate is “not likely to be carcinogenic to humans,” while the European Food Safety Authority said in 2023 that its review found no critical areas of concern regarding human, animal or environmental health.