In
This Issue:
FSA
RELEASES FINDINGS ON GM TRANSFER
The U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA) released preliminary results from a series
of five research studies being commissioned on the general topic of food safety
and the fate of DNA from biotech products in the human digestive tract. In
particular one study from the University of Newcastle investigated the ability
to transfer DNA in food derived from biotech products to bacteria in the human
digestive tract.
The Food Standards Agency, the sponsoring regulatory authority, appropriately
put the research's conclusions in perspective when it released the information,
stating: "...it is extremely unlikely that genes can end up in the bacteria
in the gut of people who eat them." In summarizing the research, FSA stated:
"...in real-life conditions with human volunteers, no GM material survived the
passage through the entire human digestive tract".
"Although some DNA survived in laboratory-created environments that simulated
human or animal gastrointestinal tracts, the research concluded that the likelihood
of functioning DNA being taken up by bacteria in the human or animal gut is extremely
low".
The FSA has made the preliminary results of these studies available along with
a statement on its web site at: http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk
INTERNATIONAL
COALITION SAYS COMBAT POVERTY
A new coalition of organizations, the Monterrey Bridge, has challenged countries
to uphold promises made earlier this year at the International Conference on
Financing for Development. The coalition calls for tangible action to combat
rural poverty and to bring environmentally sustainable food production to the
table at the World Summit on Sustainable Development and beyond.
On behalf of the coalition, Judith Symonds, Executive Director of the Future
Harvest Foundation, issued the following challenge: "We call upon participants
at the WSSD to ensure that the goal of feeding the world's poor is integrated
with efforts to protect biodiversity. There are numerous examples from around
the world on how this can be done effectively. There is no time to lose. World
leaders must commit the financial resources to expand upon these success stories
and apply their learnings globally".
The coalition is led by the Future Harvest Foundation. Future Harvest is an
initiative of the 16 Future Harvest Centers of the Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
For the news release, visit the Future Harvest website at: http://www.futureharvest.org
BIOTECH
COULD LEAD TO DRAMATIC GREEN REVOLUTION IN AFRICA
"The judicious deployment of biotechnology and other improved technologies could
lead to an agricultural revolution in Africa even more dramatic than the 'Green
Revolution' of the mid-twentieth century". This is according to the Partnership
to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa's report entitled "Now is the Time - A Plan
to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa".
The Partnership was formed in early 2000 out of concern that the US response
to rising poverty and hunger in Africa was not enough. It has a broad membership
consisting of African presidents and ambassadors, current and former US public
officials as well as corporate and interest group CEOs, university presidents,
representatives of multilateral and non-government organizations and humanitarian
assistance groups.
The report sets forth a strategic framework and action plan that is the product
of deliberations in Africa and the US over the last two years. It discusses
why past development strategies have not reduced hunger and poverty, grounds
for optimism due to a changing environment for African development, basis for
a new strategy and the Partnership's plan.
The Partnership recognizes that new science and technology products hold great
potential for Africa including information technology and biotechnology. The
report further said, "biotechnology - and other science-based agricultural
technology - hold potential to help Africa achieve higher yields, improved
pest control, greater drought resistance, reduced dependence on chemical fertilizers,
shorter growing seasons and increased nutritional value of crops.
The report is available at http://www.africanhunger.org/partnership_report_final_web.pdf.
INDIAN
FARMERS WILLING TO PAY MORE FOR BT COTTON SEEDS
Despite higher prices when compared to non-Bt varieties, farmers still responded
positively to the 'Bollgard' (Bt) cotton of Monsanto and the Maharashtra
Hybrid Seeds Co. Ltd. (Mahyco). Farmers were so positive towards the product
that Bt cottonseeds were totally sold-out in the first season of planting in
India.
The Bt hybrid seeds were sold at Rs 1,600 (around $33) per packet each containing
450 grams of seed to cover one acre. This is compared to a maximum retail price
of Rs 380 (around $8) for a similar packet of Mahyco's non-Bt cotton hybrid
versions.
Farmers around the Aurangabad-Jalna belt said that they invested the extra
Rs 1,000 per acre in the hope of saving on pesticides. A single round of spraying
pesticides, whether organophosphates or synthetic pyrethroids, costs Rs 250-300
per acre. Farmers spray 10 to 15 times depending on the incidence of bollworm
population. Ten rounds of spraying at Rs 250 would cost Rs 2,500.
According to Dr. M.K. Sharma, Managing Director of Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech
India Ltd (MMB), 80% of the sales were made to farmers in villages near the
trial locations. Apparently, these farmers were the most eager to plant the
product because they were familiar with it. Only 20% were made to new farmers.
The full article is at http://in.biz.yahoo.com/020716/17/1s26w.html.
UGANDA
ESTABLISHES COMMERCIAL BIOTECH LAB
Uganda has established its first commercial agricultural biotechnology laboratory.
Agro Genetic Laboratories Ltd (AGT) is a joint investment by Ugandans and Swedes.
AGT was granted approval by Uganda's National Council for Science and Technology
to produce coffee and banana plantlets using tissue culture methods.
According to Erostus Nsubuga, the director of AGT, the laboratory is capable
of producing millions of plantlets from high quality coffee and bananas. Deputy
Director Otim Nape, in charge of Outreach at the Uganda National Agricultural
Research Organization (NARO) welcomed the involvement of the private sector
as there is a big demand for clean planting material on a commercial scale
which NARO cannot supply.
ABSF
DISCUSS BIOTECH ISSUES WITH KENYAN MEDIA
The African Biotechnology Stakeholders Forum (ABSF) convened a press luncheon
and lecture session on July 19, 2002 for representatives from various media
houses in Kenya. The meeting at the Grand Regency Hotel in Nairobi, aimed to
facilitate interaction between the media and key stakeholders in scientific
research in Kenya to enhance public awareness and understanding of some of
the issues at the forthcoming World Summit for Sustainable Development. Biotechnology
is one of the key issues to be considered for discussion.
Key among these biotechnology issues to be considered for discussion at the
Speakers at the function included Professor James Ochanda (Chairman ABSF),
Dr. Romano Kiome (Director, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute), Hon. Dr.
Joseph Wamukoya (a Kenyan Parliamentarian and Assistant Minister for Education
and Human Resources in the Kenya Government), Dr. Sam Wakhusama (Director,
ISAAA AfriCenter), Ms. Rose Ndegwa (representing the International Livestock
Research Institute), Dr. Wakahu (United Nations Development Programme in Kenya)
and Dr. Gabriella Parsley (scientist and board member of ISAAA). The National
Council for Science and Technology in Kenya was also represented at the meeting.
Brief lectures by each of the guests highlighted the role of scientific research,
biotechnology and related biosafety issues in addressing Africa's food security,
environmental conservation, rising poverty levels and effective participation
in world trade for sustainable development. The need for a consultative process
in establishing regulatory systems and assessing the risks and benefits of
genetically modified foods was recognized as the best way to allay public concerns
based on lack of awareness and misinformation.
Media representatives commented and raised questions to clarify issues that
required emphasis at the World Summit. Some of these include: the small number
of Africa-based biotechnology products which hinders the media's effectiveness
in raising public awareness; the need for a scheme to address benefit-sharing
in biotechnology to ensure Africans derive benefits from the rich genetic resources;
and the difficulty in exploiting African talents due to limited infrastructure
and human capacity for biotechnology development.
GM
PAPAYA RESEARCH TEAM RECEIVES 2002 VON HUMBOLDT AWARD
The research team that developed the papaya ringspot virus (PRSV)-resistant
papaya will receive the prestigious 2002 Alexander von Humboldt Award for Agriculture.
Led by Dennis Gonsalves, former Cornell University Hyde Bailey professor of
plant pathology, the team produced two disease-resistant varieties, Rainbow
and Sun-up, expressing the PRSV coat protein gene through genetic engineering.
Commercialized in 1998, this research effort saved the $ 45 million Hawaiian
papaya industry from widespread and severe disease damage.
"The efforts of the team clearly portray the potential benefits of biotechnology
in agriculture and have led to further scientific discoveries that will impact
the development of disease resistance in other valuable crops throughout the
world" said Susan A. Henry of the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of Cornell's College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Richard Manshardt of University of Hawaii, Maureen Fitch of the US Department
of Agriculture and Jerry Slightom of Pharmacia-Upjohn Co. are the other key
players in this breakthrough project.
Named in honor of Alexander von Humboldt, the 19th-century German naturalist
and geographer, the award is given annually to the person or team judged to
have the most significant contribution to American agriculture during the previous
five years.
More details are available at: http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/July02/GonsalvesAward.bpf.html
JAPAN
APPROVES GM CORN AND SOYBEAN
Reuters reports that Japan's Health Ministry has approved three varieties of
genetically modified (GM) corn and soybeans as safe for human consumption.
The approved crops are insect-resistant, herbicide-tolerant GM corn -- called
Herculex I - from U.S. chemical firm Dow Chemical Co and two varieties of herbicide-tolerant
GM soybeans from Franco-German pharmaceutical group Aventis SA. There are now
a total of 43 varieties of six crops-- corn, soybean, sugar beet, potato, rapeseed
and cotton approved for human consumption.
Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun likewise reports that the government will compile
by year-end a set of strategic principles for the development of biotechnology
in Japan. It includes an action plan to be implemented by 2010 for technological
development and for the appropriate use of genetic engineering in food products.
The first meeting of the biotechnology strategy council will be hosted by Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Those attending the meeting include academics,
industry experts and the heads of seven government agencies - among them the
Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry,
and the Ministry of Health and Labor.
EXTRA
GENE BOOSTS PLANTS' STRESS TOLERANCE
Currently, global agriculture is facing two major challenges namely, a rising
population and the threat of climate change. These conditions reduce the area
of fertile land and make hardier plants necessary. Scientists from the University
of Sheffield, UK have been able to increase the tolerance to high light and
high temperature of the weed thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) by adding
an extra gene.
Plants have several mechanisms to combat the effects of excessive sunlight
and one of them is the production of chemicals called xanthophylls. The chemical
diverts excess energy away from the plant tissues and acts as a sacrificial
target. The team from Sheffield composed of Davison, Hunter and Horton, inserted
extra copies of the gene for an enzyme that drives the xanthophyll synthesis
which doubled the amount of xanthophylls in the chloroplasts. The engineered
plants became more tolerant to high light and high temperature.
The method does not introduce foreign genes into the plant. However, it remains
to be seen if the same method will work for important crops like maize or potatoes.
The original article was published in Nature Magazine, volume 418. A related
feature article is available online for free at http://www.nature.com/nsu/020708/020708-8.html.
ON-LINE
BIOTECH POLICY DOCUMENTS
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has made available on-line
a comprehensive list of biotechnology policy documents from its 183 member
countries and one member organization (the European Community). The list includes
both national and regional (within country) policy documents.
Currently, there are 15 documents from 11 members, including documents from
Namibia and South Africa. In addition to agricultural biotechnology, many policies
address biotechnology applications to other areas such as pharmaceuticals and
human health care.
The list is available at http://www.fao.org/biotech/country.asp.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
2ND CIRCULAR FOR 7TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPO ON BIOSAFETY OF GM ORGANISMS
The 7th International Symposium on the Biosafety of Genetically Modified Organims
will be held in Beijing, China, October 10-16, 2002. It is organized by the
Peking University, Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, and the International
Society for Biosafety Research. The second circular that gives details of the
symposium can be downloaded at: http://www.isaaa.org/services/pub_downloads/secondcircular.pdf
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