Rosalie Ellasus
Farmer, Philippines
Expert Bio
Rosalie Ellasus is a first-generation farmer, growing corn and rice in San Jacinto, Philippines. Rosalie allows her farm to be used as a demonstration pilot for smallholder farmers to visit and learn from. She currently serves as President of the Philippine Maize Federation and is a member of the Truth About Trade & Technology Global Farmer Network.
Studies, Articles and Answers
Showing 3 out of 3 results
Question
A: “Do judges know better than mothers what their children should eat?“In the Philippines, apparently they do. Or at least they think they do.“Last month, my country’s Court of Appeals stopped field tests on genetically modified eggplants—crops that I would happily feed my own children and grandchildren.“We’ve been eating GM crops for years. I grow them on my farm in San Jacinto during the dry season. They’re such excellent crops that I plant them on the 12 hectares that I own, and also rent an additional 3.5 hectares.“I’ve also grown eggplants. They’re the leading vegetable crop in the Philippi [...]
A: “As we begin a new year, we often express our hope for the future. In Kenya, there is hope that 2014 will bring a lifting of the ban on GM imports and mark the first time Kenyan farmers will have access to important tools of agricultural technology that have been withheld from them.“One of the world’s great scientific hoaxes has been ratted out.“That’s the good news. The bad news is that his false claims already have done enormous damage to the cause of food security—and it will take a big effort to undo the harm here in Kenya and elsewhere.“The story began more than a year ago, when th [...]
A: “…Climate change is having a bad influence as well: Cyclone Phailin has dumped an enormous amount of rain on India, but last year we had almost drought-like conditions in many parts of India. The success or failure of our farming is monsoon dependent. The monsoons that traditionally provide normal levels of precipitation have become less dependable, and we don’t have precise weather prediction that would enable us to plan our farming strategy.“All of this puts our food security at risk. In a nation of more than one billion citizens, the stakes are high indeed.“If we’re going to be serious abo [...]
A: “Do judges know better than mothers what their children should eat?“In the Philippines, apparently they do. Or at least they think they do.“Last month, my country’s Court of Appeals stopped field tests on genetically modified eggplants—crops that I would happily feed my own children and grandchildren.“We’ve been eating GM crops for years. I grow them on my farm in San Jacinto during the dry season. They’re such excellent crops that I plant them on the 12 hectares that I own, and also rent an additional 3.5 hectares.“I’ve also grown eggplants. They’re the leading vegetable crop in the Philippi [...]
A: “As we begin a new year, we often express our hope for the future. In Kenya, there is hope that 2014 will bring a lifting of the ban on GM imports and mark the first time Kenyan farmers will have access to important tools of agricultural technology that have been withheld from them.“One of the world’s great scientific hoaxes has been ratted out.“That’s the good news. The bad news is that his false claims already have done enormous damage to the cause of food security—and it will take a big effort to undo the harm here in Kenya and elsewhere.“The story began more than a year ago, when th [...]
A: “…Climate change is having a bad influence as well: Cyclone Phailin has dumped an enormous amount of rain on India, but last year we had almost drought-like conditions in many parts of India. The success or failure of our farming is monsoon dependent. The monsoons that traditionally provide normal levels of precipitation have become less dependable, and we don’t have precise weather prediction that would enable us to plan our farming strategy.“All of this puts our food security at risk. In a nation of more than one billion citizens, the stakes are high indeed.“If we’re going to be serious abo [...]
Business Practices GMOs & FarmersQuestion
A: “Do judges know better than mothers what their children should eat?“In the Philippines, apparently they do. Or at least they think they do.“Last month, my country’s Court of Appeals stopped field tests on genetically modified eggplants—crops that I would happily feed my own children and grandchildren.“We’ve been eating GM crops for years. I grow them on my farm in San Jacinto during the dry season. They’re such excellent crops that I plant them on the 12 hectares that I own, and also rent an additional 3.5 hectares.“I’ve also grown eggplants. They’re the leading vegetable crop in the Philippi [...]
A: “As we begin a new year, we often express our hope for the future. In Kenya, there is hope that 2014 will bring a lifting of the ban on GM imports and mark the first time Kenyan farmers will have access to important tools of agricultural technology that have been withheld from them.“One of the world’s great scientific hoaxes has been ratted out.“That’s the good news. The bad news is that his false claims already have done enormous damage to the cause of food security—and it will take a big effort to undo the harm here in Kenya and elsewhere.“The story began more than a year ago, when th [...]
A: “…Climate change is having a bad influence as well: Cyclone Phailin has dumped an enormous amount of rain on India, but last year we had almost drought-like conditions in many parts of India. The success or failure of our farming is monsoon dependent. The monsoons that traditionally provide normal levels of precipitation have become less dependable, and we don’t have precise weather prediction that would enable us to plan our farming strategy.“All of this puts our food security at risk. In a nation of more than one billion citizens, the stakes are high indeed.“If we’re going to be serious abo [...]
A: “Do judges know better than mothers what their children should eat?“In the Philippines, apparently they do. Or at least they think they do.“Last month, my country’s Court of Appeals stopped field tests on genetically modified eggplants—crops that I would happily feed my own children and grandchildren.“We’ve been eating GM crops for years. I grow them on my farm in San Jacinto during the dry season. They’re such excellent crops that I plant them on the 12 hectares that I own, and also rent an additional 3.5 hectares.“I’ve also grown eggplants. They’re the leading vegetable crop in the Philippi [...]
A: “As we begin a new year, we often express our hope for the future. In Kenya, there is hope that 2014 will bring a lifting of the ban on GM imports and mark the first time Kenyan farmers will have access to important tools of agricultural technology that have been withheld from them.“One of the world’s great scientific hoaxes has been ratted out.“That’s the good news. The bad news is that his false claims already have done enormous damage to the cause of food security—and it will take a big effort to undo the harm here in Kenya and elsewhere.“The story began more than a year ago, when th [...]
A: “…Climate change is having a bad influence as well: Cyclone Phailin has dumped an enormous amount of rain on India, but last year we had almost drought-like conditions in many parts of India. The success or failure of our farming is monsoon dependent. The monsoons that traditionally provide normal levels of precipitation have become less dependable, and we don’t have precise weather prediction that would enable us to plan our farming strategy.“All of this puts our food security at risk. In a nation of more than one billion citizens, the stakes are high indeed.“If we’re going to be serious abo [...]
Business Practices GMOs & FarmersQuestion
A: Biotechnology has been helping farmers around the world increase their productivity, boosting crop yields by providing protection from pests, viruses and poor weather. Genetically modified crops are an important tool that helps the world's farmers sustainably feed a growing world population. We hear many positive stories, based on firsthand experience with biotech crops, from farmers around the world every day. [...]
A: Biotechnology is widely accepted around the world, where farmers have harvested more than 3.5 billion acres of it over the last 20 years. A few of those acres have been mine. I started growing GM crops shortly after the death of my husband. They helped me get my life back together and gave me the financial means to send my children to school. They also put food on the table. I mean this both figuratively and literally because in my home we eat what we grow. Biotech crops aren't merely just okay to eat. They're actually better than non-biotech crops. They allow us to grow more food on less land [...]
A: I've grown non-GM brinjal, a staple vegetable that many people around the world call eggplant, on my farm for many years, so I know the challenges that it presents. The pests are terrible. Fruit and shoot borers can reduce a crop badly or destroy it entirely. Up to now, pesticides have offered the only way to cope. We spray every 15 days on my farm. Some farmers actually overdo it, applying pesticide more frequently, due to ignorance or anxiety. This creates problems for workers in fields and families in kitchens. Biotechnology can change all this. By using the same safe and proven technology [...]
A: We all benefit from GM crops. Millions of farmers around the world know this, and so do the majority of scientists. As a scientist, father and neighbor, I often get this question from people in my community. The short answer is that GM crops help farmers grow crops more efficiently, protect biodiversity and provide all of us with a more abundant and affordable food supply. But the world is adding 200,000 persons every day, and the United Nations estimates the world population will reach 9.3 billion by 2050. And as the population increases and agriculture attempts to increase productivity to [...]
A: Improved nutrition is one of the many exciting things we can achieve through genetic modification. For example, biotech companies such as DuPont Pioneer are close to commercializing soybeans that produce oil with a better nutrition profile than traditional soybean oil. This high-oleic oil has 0 g trans fat and less saturated fat and is higher in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, similar to what you would find in olive oil. In developed countries like the United States, we worry about cutting back on calories, while the challenge in many parts of the world is getting enough. Genet [...]
A: Jacque Matsen, Public Affairs Manager at DuPont Pioneer, discusses the future of GMOs and benefits of the technology. [...]
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