Role of biotech
in farming nutritious food cited
ILOILO, PHILIPPINES - Monsanto Philippines
strengthened its efforts to promote better nutrition in the country after it
recently launched an educational roadshow, dubbed Monsanto Fun Kitchen, at
Nabatasan Elementary School in Iloilo City. Monsanto Corporate Affairs Lead
Charina Garrido-Ocampo said during a media briefing that the Mobile Fun Kitchen
was the second leg of the company’s nutrition campaign in the country
.
Ocampo
said that the program forms part of the company’s continuing efforts to make
balanced meals accessible especially amid the 3.6 million stunted Filipino children
who suffer from the consequences of malnutrition. In a study1dedicated to nourishing communities by ensuring access to nutritious foods.
Today we realize this commitment to nutrition through Monsanto Fun Kitchen, which
seeks to teach proper nutrition at school levels. Every Filipino child deserves
access to a balanced meal,” Ocampo shared during her opening remarks at the
launch.
The
Mobile Fun Kitchen was participated by over 415 students, including parents and
faculty members of Nabitasan Elementary School. The program demonstrated to
children the value of healthy eating and taught parents and teachers
easy-to-cook and healthy recipes that can be easily replicated in their homes.
The
initiative also explained the role of biotechnology in producing and farming
nutritious food. Shemaine Castillo, Regulatory Affairs Lead of Monsanto,
explained during the program that biotechnology has been a proven breeding
method that not only improves the quantity of harvest but also increases levels of
minerals and vitamins.
“As an
agriculture company, we especially look at biotechnology as a novel approach in
producing nutritious produce. By applying biotechnology in agriculture, we
protect crops such as corn, lettuce and tomatoes from pests and diseases, allowing
us in turn to have better yield,” Castillo said. She added that “we use biotechnology to develop new varieties of
plant seeds with a range of desirable characteristics, such as being able to
resist certain insects or harsh weather conditions.”
initiative
of Monsanto to boost its community efforts in Iloilo and other parts of the
country. “For almost 50
years, Monsanto has been working on some substantial and meaningful programs
meant to improve Filipinos’ lives. Today in Iloilo, we continue the tradition
of giving back to the communities where we live and work, striving towards the
improvement of food, nutrition, and the overall wellbeing of Ilonggos.”
###
Monsanto Philippines is a local unit of Monsanto, a Fortune 500 global power company with a diverse portfolio of advanced biotechnology products produced in 404 facilities in 66 countries. To date, Monsanto Philippines has four facilities spread out across the country, which includes its head office in Alabang, a Refuge-in-a-Bag (RIB) Plant and cold warehouse located in Bulacan, and an R&D station in Mindanao. The company also has partnerships with the Philippine government through the Department of Agriculture as well as the local scientific and academic communities in the promotion of modern agricultural biotechnology. To learn more, please visit www.monsanto.ph.
About Monsanto
Monsanto is committed to bringing a broad range of solutions to help nourish our growing world. We produce seeds for fruits, vegetables and key crops – such as corn, soybeans, sorghum, canola, and cotton – that help farmers have better harvests while using water and other important resources more efficiently. We work to find sustainable solutions for soil health, help farmers use data to improve farming practices and conserve natural resources, and provide crop protection products to minimize damage from pests and disease. Through programs and partnerships, we collaborate with farmers, researchers, nonprofit organizations, universities and others to help tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges.
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