Jakarta gives green light to GMO sugarcane

Indonesia recently approved its first genetically modified sugarcane crop. 

The move, by the National Genetically Modified Product Biosafety Commission (KKHPRG), paves the way for the development of transgenic sugarcane for commercial production. 

Bambang Purwantara, a member of the commission, said institutions with a mandate to approve biotech plants had given the nod to a drought-resistant transgenic sugarcane seed.

The cane, developed by state plantation firm PT Perkebunan Nusantara, the Indonesian Sugarcane Plantation Research Centre (P3GI) and experts from the State University of Jember in East Java, is currently in a limited field test.

“We are proud to announce that the first biotech staple crop will be a drought-resistant sugarcane. We expect to see the transgenic sugarcane planted by next year at the latest,” Bambang said. 

Commission members are also now assessing another sugarcane variety – said to be resistant to herbicide – developed by the state plantation company and scientists from the research centre and the university.

The drought-resistant sugarcane is the first of 14 recommended biotech crops being assessed by the commission, which was established in 2010 to oversee development of biotechnology.

Some 13 other transgenic food crops have passed food safety testing, which ensures that the products are safe for human consumption. 

The recommended biotech crops include several varieties of corn, soybeans, sugarcane and an anti-freeze protein producing plant.

Besides food safety testing, the biotech plants also have go through feed safety and environmental safety tests to assess use as animal fodder and environmental impacts, respectively, as laid down in the Agriculture Minister’s regulation No 61/2011, which sets out the establishment of a transgenic system.

Genetically modified crops are designed by scientists for higher yields and resistance to insects and herbicides, but the idea has generated controversy worldwide. Scientists who view biotech crops with caution have linked the consumption of biotech crops with illnesses, such as cancer. 

Environmentalists also regard genetically altered crops as a risky way of tampering with nature.