A terrible papaya virus has been affecting Jamaica for six years. Now a
Jamaican woman has developed a genetically modified papaya that is resistant
to this virus, yet authorities are afraid to test the new variety in field
trials, writes Terence Giliard from the Caribbean. Already, buyers in Europe
are saying that they would be hesitant to buy the genetically modified papaya
from Jamaica because of the worries in the minds of European consumers about
all genetically modified crops. Worse, they fear that trials would contaminate
normal papaya and organically grown papaya in Jamaica, through cross
pollination. Unfortunately, Europeans are often unable to distinguish between
the islands. When I first went to England, most UK people asked Antigua? What
part of Jamaica is that?

What would all this mean for the free movement of papaya under the Caribbean
Community Single Market Economy? Would all Caribbean papaya become suspect?
And what about us? Who is looking out for our health and our environment? Even
if it turns out to be safe to eat, has anyone checked to see whether it is
safe to use genetically modified papayas in herbal medicine? Would it harm our
honeybees or the perception of our honey products?

On the positive side, Pier d’Ayala proposes that small island economies could
greatly benefit from research and development in a field that in principle
does not need large structural and capital-intensive investments. For example,
the well-known petunia flower seeds are very difficult to produce for the
single pure colours, such as white and red. To obtain such seeds the
correspondent petunia plantation must be grown in isolated glasshouses with
efficient pollen filtering systems and other sophisticated devices. Small
islands having certified that there are no petunias on their territory could
easily start growing petunias with low production costs. This could become a
profitable activity.

Picking up on the potential benefits of biotechnology, Peter Jacobs writes:
Being from St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Caribbean) land space is limited.
It is up to small islands to use their resources profitably, especially in
view of the increasing price of fuel. Taiwan has been helping our island
develop crops that would yield maximum amount of fruit on a minimum farm area.
We now use tissue culture instead of suckers to grow bananas, we develop new
varieties of pineapples and also have a pig-rearing scheme with bigger pigs.
Yes, genetically modified products may have side effects, but if great care is
taken, I do not see why we cannot continue.

Returning back to some of the concerns relating to biotechnology, Patu Hohepa
(New Zealand) emphasizes: we are generally against genetic engineering because
of its unknown effects on our indigenous flora and fauna and on many products
we now eat. The effect of contaminated commercial corn seeds and soya from the
Americas is one such problem. The article about Hawaii’s experiences gives a
positive side too and I send our thanks from us indigenous Mäori. One major
concern is with commercial seed growers using genetic engineering to make
their products sterile, and thus farmers cannot save the seeds and replant
them. Add that to the increasing number of laws that take away our rights to
indigenous or native flora and fauna!

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Title: Biotechnology – threat or opportunity?
Author: P. d’Ayala, , T. Giliard, P. Hohepa, P. Jacobs
Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2006