IRRI welcomes government lawyers

A group of lawyers from the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) of the Philippines visited IRRI on 13 December 2013 to learn more about the contributions of rice science and biotechnology to food security.

Led by Assistant Government Corporate Counsel Raul Ragandang, the lawyers of the OGCC’s agriculture and trade team gained a deeper understanding of IRRI’s legal status, objectives, and the Institute’s mission and vision.  The underlying theme in all the discussions was IRRI’s strict adherence to biosafety, environmental protection, and the quality of its research products. The visitors also received technical briefings from IRRI scientists and experts. Topics included rice breeding, genetic diversity, grain quality and nutrition, and biotechnology. Last on the agenda was a tour of IRRI’s RiceWorld Museum.

The OGCC is the principal and statutory law office of government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) and other corporate entities of the Philippine government.

Interactions with scientists provided the lawyers with expert perspectives on the public benefits and safety of biotechnology products, particularly of healthier and stress-tolerant rice varieties.


















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