In
This Issue:
Developing
Countries Discuss Com Strategies for Crop Biotech
Experts
on communication and the agricultural sciences from 12 countries
representing Asia, South Africa and South America met recently at
the Siam City Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand to plan activities that
will facilitate the sharing of knowledge on crop biotechnology.
Representatives from Asia (India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand,
and Vietnam); Africa (Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa); and Latin America (Brazil)
discussed communication strategies to get the public aware of the benefits
of crop biotechnology products and services.
The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications
(ISAAA), through the Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology sponsored
and implemented the three-day workshop. Each of the countries represented in
the workshop form part of the Knowledge Center Network. ¨
Contact:
Email: knowledge.center@cgiar.org
URL: http://www.isaaa.org
US Patent
Office Publishes Final Guidelines for Genes
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has finalized its 'utility
examination guidelines.' It has been published and was issued after extensive
public comment.
The utility guidelines are applicable to all areas of technology. However,
they are particularly relevant in areas of emerging technologies, such as gene-related
technologies, where uses for new materials that have not been fully characterized
are not readily apparent. The guidelines may affect patent claims for genes
where the function of the gene is not yet known. The guidelines are available
at: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/notices/utilexmguide.pdf
Research
Starts on "Golden Rice"
Scientists
at the Philippine-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
will now begin work on pro-Vitamin A enriched "Golden Rice".
IRRI is part of an international effort to further investigate the
safety and utility of the genetically modified rice which contains
beta-carotene and other carotenoids.
IRRI's Director-General Ronald P. Cantrell said that they will finally start
on the required testing processes using local rice varieties.
The delivery of "Golden Rice" from the inventors' laboratories in
Europe was possible through the donation of intellectual property licenses
from: Syngenta Seeds AG, Syngenta Ltd., Bayer AG, Monsanto Company Inc., Orynova
BV, and Zeneca Mogen BV. Subject to further research, "Golden Rice" can
then be made available free-of-charge for humanitarian uses in any developing
nation. ¨
Contact:
Prof. Ingo Potrykus, Humanitarian Board
Email: potrykus@active.ch
EU-US
Panel Presents GM Food Recommendations
A panel
of European Union (EU) and US experts has urged the US government
to require approval of genetically modified (GM) food before it is
put on the market and to bring in labelling for GM food. The EU-US
Biotechnology Consultative Forum, established to examine the broad
range issues of concern in biotechnology in the European Union and
United States presented its report at the recent EU-US summit in
Washington, USA. The Forum is made up of 20 experts from both regions.
To ensure safety of food and feed, the report recommended that "all products
be subject to a mandatory pre market examination by the appropriate regulatory
authorities and approved for sale only after
they are
found to meet the standard of presenting a reasonable certainty of
no harm". A recommendation was also made that the governments
develop ways of tracing of food containing GM ingredients. ¨
Contact:
European Commission
URL: http://ueropa.eu.int/comm
Monsanto
Trials GM Wheat
Farm trials
have begun for the world's first genetically modified wheat, which
means the first GM loaf of bread could be on supermarket shelves
within three years.
The GM wheat is under development by the American agricultural biotechnology
company Monsanto. It will be a spring-sown variety engineered to include a
gene for conferring resistance to Monsanto's Roundup weed killer. It hopes
to sell the wheat alongside
the herbicide so that farmers can control weeds more efficiently.
Monsanto says that the technology is more or less complete and that is now
awaiting the necessary regulatory approval from authorities in the US so that
American farmers can begin to grow their first GM wheat crop as early as 2003. ¨
Contact:
Monsanto Agricultural Company
URL: http://www.monsanto.com
LibertyLink® Hybrids
Approved for Feed and Food Use in Major US Export Markets
Aventis
CropScience has announced that all corn containing the company's
LibertyLink® gene is approved for feed and food use both in the United
States and in the country's major export markets. "In 2001 growers
can plant any LibertyLink® hybrid offered for sale and be certain
the grain produced is fully approved for feed and food use by all
of our major export partners," said Don McAghon, seed account
manager for Aventis.
The LibertyLink® gene confers resistance to Liberty® herbicide, a tool growers
throughout the United States depend on to control more than 100 tough broadleaf
and grass weeds. ¨
Contact:
Aventis Crop Science
URL:http://www2.aventis.com/cropsc/cro_main.htm
Science
Communities Issue Strong Support for Biotechnology
C.S. Prakash,
professor and director of the Center for Plant Biotechnology Research
at Tuskegee University in Alabama, says that more than 2,800 eminent
scientists (including three Nobel laureates) in recent months have
signed a statement of support for biotechnology and are urging that
its benefits be extended to people in the developing world.
Expert panels with the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development have made strong statements supporting the safety of the crops.
Recently, six national science academies (U.S., Britain, Brazil, China, India
and Mexico) and the Third World Academy of Sciences, issued a joint statement,
not only endorsing biotechnology but urging companies, governments and charities
to extend it to the developing world. ¨
Taiwan Provides Grace
Period on Labelling
In late
December, the Taiwanese government announced that it will provide
food manufacturers with a grace period of up to four years before
requiring products containing biotech-enhanced ingredients to be
labelled. Initially, the Taiwan Health Department's Bureau of Food
Sanitation had been scheduled to impose the mandatory labelling requirement
this year.
Under the new schedule, mandatory labelling of biotech-enhanced foods would
be implemented in three stages, with products containing raw corn and soya
beans to be labelled by as early as 2003. Mandatory labelling of processed
foods containing corn and soya beans would be delayed until 2005.
The Taiwanese government also said it intends to use a 5 percent tolerance
when implementing a labelling requirement, identical to what is planned in
Japan. In the interim the Taiwanese government plans to encourage voluntary
labelling of labelling of biotech-enhanced foods by domestic food companies. ¨ |
