In
This Issue:
DISSEMINATE
BIOTECH'S BENEFITS, SAYS BIO PRESIDENT
"Our goal must be to ensure the widest possible dissemination of biotechnology's
benefits while respecting the diversity of the world's nations and peoples".
Carl Feldbaum, President of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) made
this statement during the "BIO 2002 International Biotechnology Convention and
Exhibition" held June 9-10, 2002 in Toronto, Canada. Feldbaum said that the biotechnology
industry needs to formulate a foreign policy that recognizes the "miserable judgments
and mistakes of other industries - and avoids them".
For agricultural biotechnology, Feldbaum said that it must be more seriously
considered as a significant part of any program to address the nutritional
needs of the developing world. Biotechnology provides new tools that plant
breeders may use to accelerate the development of new plant varieties and hybrids
that benefit people in developing countries.
The BIO President cited the research of biotech companies that may benefit
the developing world such as the contribution of data to the rice genome project
as well as projects on disease-resistance and more productive staple crops.
He also said that "this is not some version of technocratic colonialism - researchers
and political leaders of the developing nations are in fact the most ardent
supporters of biotechnology-based solutions to hunger and ill health". He quoted
the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, as saying "biotechnology may offer the
best hope, but only if we resolve the controversies surrounding it".
Feldbaum tackled the different aspects of biotechnology. His speech dealt with
the need for pharmaceutical biotechnology to respond to the problems of the
developing world and for markets to be open to demonstrably safe and effective
biotech products. He said that science should be the basis of regulatory regimes
and these regulations should be harmonized globally. Furthermore, it is important
that governments respect biotechnology-based intellectual property. The industry
on the other hand must follow ethical guidelines in bioprospecting, and promote
biodiversity on the path to achieve sustainable development. Feldbaum also
said that while biotechnology should be used to develop treatments and protective
products for both the civilian and the military, it must never be used to develop
weapons.
BIO represents more than 1,000 biotechnology companies, academic institutions,
state biotechnology centers and related organizations in all 50 U.S. states
and 33 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development
of health-care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.
WFS
CALLS FOR INCREASED EFFORTS TO SOLVE FOOD PROBLEM
Hunger is one of the worst violations of human dignity and that countries should
increase their efforts to eliminate hunger. This was a major point stressed
by Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations during the World Food
Summit: Five Years Later" in Rome, Italy held June 10-13, 2002. The Summit,
organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization, attracted delegates from
180 countries.
"Hunger and poverty are closely linked," the UN Secretary-General emphasized. "Hunger
perpetuates poverty, since it prevents people from realizing their potential...We
need an anti-hunger programme that could become a common framework around which
global and national capacities to fight hunger can be mobilized."
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Norman E. Borlaug and the 15 living World Food
Prize Laureates released a powerful statement during the conference which urged
scientists and nations to work together to "strengthen the research and policy
framework underpinning the necessary productivity increases in agriculture,
livestock, and aquatic resources in an environmentally sustainable manner." The
full statement can be downloaded at http://www.worldfoodprize.com/statement.htm
Heads of States and Governments also came out with a declaration stating renewal
of their global commitments to accelerating the implementation of the World
Food Summit Plan of Action. They expressed the political will to meet the target
of reducing world hunger by half (more than 22 million people per year) by
2015.
The declaration also called on FAO, in conjunction with international research
institutes, to advance agricultural research and research into new technologies,
including biotechnology. "The introduction of tried and tested new technologies
including biotechnology should be accomplished in a safe manner and adapted
to local conditions to help improve agricultural productivity in developing
countries. We are committed to study, share and facilitate the responsible
use of biotechnology in addressing development needs". For the full declaration
visit: http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/MEETING/004/Y6948E.HTM
An important outcome of the conference was the 45 new signatories to the International
Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. This brings the
total number of signatories to 56, including 35 developing countries and 20
developed countries, and the European Community.
The Treaty calls for the conservation of plant genetic resources, their sustainable
use, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use,
including monetary benefits resulting from commercialization.
This binding International Treaty provides for farmers rights, and establishes
a multilateral system to exchange the genetic resources of some 64 major crops
and forages important for global food security.
Summit news details are available at http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsummit/
english/newsroom/news/6019-en.html
IMPACT
OF PLANT BIOTECH FOR IMPROVING PEST MANAGEMENT
The widespread adoption of plant biotechnology in major commodity crops in
the United States has resulted in significant yield increases, savings for
growers and pesticide use reduction. This was a key finding of National Center
for Food and Agricultural Policy (NCFAP) in their study entitled "Plant Biotechnology:
Current and Potential Impact for Improving Pest Management in U.S. Agriculture".
The study examined 40 specific case studies in which biotech cultivars have
been used or are in development to address pest-control issues, making it the
most comprehensive evaluation of the impact on U.S. agriculture of biotech
crops. It was then reviewed by 70 plant biotechnology experts from 20 academic
and government institutions.
According to the study, the "six crops currently in the marketplace - soybeans,
corn, cotton, papaya, squash and canola - produce an additional 4 billion pounds
of food and fiber on the same acreage, improve farm income by $1.5 billion
and reduce pesticide volume by 46 million pounds". Furthermore, the study said
that if the additional 21 crops evaluated in the study are eventually planted,
production would increase by 10 billion pounds, farm income would improve by
$1 billion and pesticide volume would be reduced by 117 million pounds.
Leonard Gianessi, program director for NCFAP, said that "in nearly every case
we evaluated, biotechnology provides equal or better control of harmful pests
at reduced cost". The NCFAP is a private, nonprofit, non-advocacy research
organization based in Washington, D.C.
The study can be downloaded at http://www.ncfap.org/40CaseStudies.htm.
ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT OF AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
An issue paper entitled "The Environmental Impact of Agricultural Biotechnology" was
released by the Agricultural Biotechnology In Europe (ABE). ABE recognizes
that the two primary areas of concern regarding agricultural biotechnology
are environmental impacts and food safety. The paper released dealt with the
latter. The paper made the following conclusions:
- All
farming systems have an inevitable impact on the environment. The
use of genetic modification is one factor among many, and must
be assessed in this context.
- Very
real environmental benefits are already being delivered by the
use of modern biotechnology in agriculture, and its continued development
should play a significant part in sustainable farming systems.
- Cross-pollination
between some GM crops and non-GM crops can occur at low levels
under some circumstances. However, any transfer of transgenic traits
from crops currently approved or under trial will have no detrimental
effect on the pollinated plants or the environment. Cross-pollination
is manageable and well controlled.
- Pollination
of weeds by GM crops can also occur in very limited circumstances,
and again there will be no environmental consequences for crops
currently under consideration.
- Potential
environmental effects are assessed in depth by the statutory authorities
before transgenic crops are grown outdoors, even on a trial basis.
ABE aims
to increase the dissemination of information and contribute to an
informed debate about crop biotechnology. This is the third issue
paper that the ABE has published. The first gave an overview on crop
biotechnology and the second one was about public attitudes towards
agricultural biotechnology.
The complete document can be downloaded at: http://abeurope.dynamicweb.dk/
images/files/abe_issues_paper_3.PDF
BALI
MEETING ENDS WITH GLOBAL FRAMEWORK FOR SUMMIT
The fourth and final Preparatory Committee meeting for the Johannesburg World
Summit ended in Bali, Indonesia on 8 June 2002. Minister Valli Moosa of the
Indonesian Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism noted a global consensus
on the main framework for the Summit:
- The
Summit must focus on all three pillars of sustainable development:
social development, economic development and the protection of
the environment.
- The
overall target of the Summit is the Millennium Development Goal
to halve poverty by 2015.
- The
need to agree on a concrete programme of action in the following
areas: water and sanitation, energy, health, agriculture and food
security, education and biodiversity.
- The
need to agree on a global partnership between rich and poor countries,
and between governments, business and civil society for sustainable
development.
Over 6,000
delegates from 140 countries attended the Bali meeting. The meeting
focused on the preparation of an action plan, known as the Chairman's
Text, which will form the basis for implementing sustainable development
principles.
BIOSAFETY
PUBLICATION AVAILABLE
The International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR) has come
out with a new publication entitled "Analysis of a National Biosafety System:
Regulatory Policies and Procedures in Argentina" by M. Burachik and P. Traynor.
This country report presents an analysis of the development and present status
of the biosafety system in Argentina and its impact on the commercialization
of genetically modified organisms.
Findings and recommendations in the report, according to ISNAR, may serve as
basis for discussions to strengthen and adapt the biosafety system to the changing
context for biotechnology products in Argentina. They may also serve to advance
efforts in the areas of public acceptance, technology transfer and regulatory
harmonization. See ftp://ftp.cgiar.org/isnar/Publicat/cr63.pdf (size
439 KB) or contact ISNAR-biotech@cgiar.org for
more information.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Symposium on Public/Private Collaborations in Ag Research
The Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture is extending an invitation
to a symposium "The Evolving Role of Public/Private Collaborations in Agriculture
Research" to be held on June 25, 2002 at the School of Advanced International
Studies, John Hopkins University, Washington, DC. The symposium will examine
governance challenges and special issues of private-public collaborations from
perspectives of a NGO, of public research institutions and of a private foundation.
For more information, email Therese St. Peter at therese.stpeter@syngenta.com |
