In
This Issue:
EXPERTS TACKLE
STATUS OF BIOTECH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
Some 50 participants from 15 countries representing both public and private
sectors converged in Bangkok, Thailand for an expert consultation on the status
of biotechnology in Asia and the Pacific. This was held at the Food and Agriculture
Organization Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAO RAP). FAO and the
Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI) sponsored
the said consultation to review the capacity and needs of countries in Asia
pertaining to biotechnology.
Dr. R. S. Paroda, executive secretary of APAARI, highlighted the important
role of biotechnology to improve agricultural production and productivity and
the need to make it more sustainable, environmentally safe and cost effective.
He urged the participants to develop a consensus to facilitate smoother adoption
of biotechnologies. In addition, he also expressed concern with regard to the
slow pace in adoption of technologies compared to the time taken for their
generation.
Dr. R.N. Sapkota, chair of APAARI, advocated the need to adopt an aggressive
approach to ensure enhanced application of biotechnologies in agriculture and
to try to overcome the doubts, fears and apprehensions through scientific dialogue
and public awareness programs. He encouraged countries to ensure regulatory
and policy mechanisms to take care of biosafety and bioethical concerns.
The inaugural address was delivered by Dr. R. B. Singh, assistant director
general and regional representative of FAO RAP. He proposed a shift in the
research paradigm to address the contextualization of research (environment,
farming system and socio-economic and policy issues) as well as to mobilize
the genetic revolution. Specific challenges for biotechnology were identified,
i.e, use of human genetic information, food and environmental safety, and intellectual
property rights. He added that the role of partnerships and scientific alliances
were deemed to be of paramount importance in the fast changing R and D environment.
FRONTIER TECHNOLOGIES:
KEY FACTOR FOR GROWTH
The European Council identified frontier technologies like biotechnology as
a key factor for future growth. The Council met in Barcelona on March 15 and
16, 2002 for its second annual spring meeting on the economic, social and environmental
situation in the Union. The European Commission reviewed the progress made
in the first two years of the Lisbon strategy and noted that while there were
some successes, there were areas where progress was too slow. It was noted
that there was a need to simplify and consolidate the Lisbon strategy to ensure
the effective implementation of decisions undertaken.
Last January 24, 2002, the Commission forwarded a Proposal for a comprehensive
biotechnology policy in Europe. The strategy paper entitled "Life Sciences
and Biotechnology - a Strategy for Europe" was designed to pave the way for
Europe to agree to a common biotechnology policy.
During the meeting in Barcelona, it was stated in the Presidency Conclusions
that "efforts should also continue to provide a coherent and effective framework
for new technologies. This will enable community businesses to fully exploit
the full potential of biotechnology, which is a key sector, while taking due
account of the precautionary principle, respecting fundamental values and meeting
ethical and social concerns. In this context, the Council welcomes the commission's
recent communication on life sciences and biotechnology." The Commission was
asked to develop measures and a timetable to enable community businesses to
exploit the potential of biotechnology.
The EU perceives biotechnology as a prospect for food, healthcare and industrial
applications that could further boost EU's economy and offers considerable
environmental and sustainability benefits. It is estimated that by 2005, the
European biotechnology market could be worth over Euro 100 billion and after
a decade could reach Euro 2000 billion.
The Commission's life science and biotechnology strategy requires active participation
of Member States. The next meetings are crucial, as it will facilitate ministers
to give their specific recommendations made in the policy paper for their responsible
areas.
The full document can be viewed at http://ue.eu.int/pressData/en/ec/69871.pdf
HIGHLIGHTS OF SOCIETY OF
TOXICOLOGY'S POSITION PAPER ON BIOTECH-DERIVED FOODS
The US Society of Toxicology (SOT) has completed its position paper on genetically
engineered foods. It made four conclusions.
First, the society recognized that the focus of attention should be the food
product itself and not the process through which it was made. Second, there
is no reason to suppose that biotechnology-derived (BD) food production will
lead to hazards of a different nature than those already familiar to toxicologists.
Thirdly, a significant limitation may occur in the future if transgenic technology
results in more substantial and complex changes in a foodstuff. Lastly, the
safety levels of current BD foods to consumers appear to be equivalent to that
of traditional food.
The Society chose not to use the name "genetically-modified (GM)" since conventional
methods of microbial, crop and animal improvement also introduce genetic modifications
which they did not address in the position paper. The society chose to use
the term "biotechnology-derived (BD) foods".
The concept of "substantial equivalence" was used as a guiding principle. In
this concept, the safety of the food to people and the environment is considered
relative to products and processes currently in use. The evaluation includes "consideration
of the characteristics of the transgene and its likely effects within the host,
metabolic profiling, and measurements of protein, fat and starch content, amino
acid composition and vitamin and mineral equivalency together with levels of
known allergens and other potentially toxic components." If a new food can
be found as substantially equivalent to conventional food, it can be regarded
as safe.
The original document may be viewed at http://www.toxicology.org/Information/
governmentmedia/GMOPaper.doc
NEPAL TO STRENGTHEN
BIOTECH R AND D
Nepal is going the way of its Asian neighbors by tapping the potential benefits
of biotechnology. In the five-year plan (July 2002 to June 2007), the National
Planning Commission (NPC) has committed to give priority to biotechnology research
and development. H.P. Bimp, senior scientist of Nepal's Agricultural Research
Council (NARC), and R.P. Sapkota, acting executive director of NARC, said that
the NPC has started preparing a high priority action plan for increasing the
use of biotechnology for rural development and poverty alleviation.
The country's national policy on biotechnology is currently in the preparatory
stage. The Ministry of Science and Technology is drafting policies on biotechnology
as they relate to technology selection, national capacity building, technology
transfer, and biosafety in line with international treaties and agreements.
Priority research activities using modern biotechnology will be done on potato,
sugarcane, banana, citrus, cardamon, tomato, tea, flowering plants and cereals.
BIOLAW 2002 IN BANGKOK
Bangkok, Thailand is venue for "BIOLAW 2002: Bridging the Gap between Scientific
and Legal Worlds" on September 3- 5, 2002. This 3-day conference is being organized
by the Southeast Asia Network On IP/TT Management, and Thailand's National
Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, and the Department of Agriculture,
among others.
The conference will cover important legal and social aspects of biotechnology,
including: global perspectives of legal aspects of biotechnology; ethical,
legal and social implications of biotechnology; intellectual property protection
for modern biotechnology; and bioprospecting.
The conference will accommodate 300 participants from scientific and legal
communities. Researchers, scientists, lawyers, judicial personnel, industries
(medical, agricultural and food biotechnology), students will benefit from
this event.
More information can be found in http://biolaw.biotec.or.th
AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL TO ADVISE
ON BIOTECHNOLOGY
The Australian Biotechnology Advisory Council has just been established to
advise the Government on priority issues in biotechnology. Ian Macfarlane,
the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources and Chair of the Commonwealth
Biotechnology said that the council will provide advice on issues including
research and development, international links, commercialization, public interest
and ethics. Professor John Hearn, Vice Chancellor (Research) at the Australian
National University will head the council.
Meanwhile, 11 applications have been submitted to develop Australia's Biotechnology
Centre of Excellence in the areas of health and medicine, genomics, agriculture,
nanotechnology, engineering and the environment. Under the Commonwealth Government's
Backing Australia's Ability Initiative, $46.5 over five years was assigned
to the Biotechnology Centre of Excellence with a view to creating world research,
attracting investment, generating new Australian biotechnology companies, providing
skills and development opportunities for researchers, and stimulating growth
in this economic sector.
More information on the Centre is available on http://www.biotechnology.gov.au
In other developments, the first dedicated plant biotechnology company in Australia
has just been launched. AgGenomics, a multi million dollar joint venture between
the Victorian state government and Genetic Technologies, claims to be able
to dramatically speed up plant genetic improvement. It can find DNA fingerprints
or genetic markers for various traits in plant varieties, thus speeding up
conventional breeding methods four or five fold.
AgGenomics avers that its services of discovering key genes for salt tolerance,
disease resistance or yield increases for plants can reduce the breeding of
new upgraded varieties from 8 to 10 years to 2 to 3 years.
KOREAN ADS
TO INDICATE PRESENCE OF BIOTECH COMPONENT
The Korean Fair Trade Commission (FTC) requires that any food product with
a biotech-enhanced component should be indicated in advertisements in newpapers,
magazines, cable or television commercial effective July 1, 2002. Seung Ah
Chung and Michael T. Henney, Foreign Agricultural Service, reports that the
Commission issued a revision to its earlier "Notification of Principle Information
on Labeling and Advertisement."
Other government agencies are already implementing defined labeling requirements
for biotech-enhanced commodities and food products, but the FTC revision would
affect only the advertisement of biotech-enhanced foods. Other government agencies
requiring labeling of biotech-enhanced commodities and foods include the Ministry
of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) for unprocessed commodities (corn, soybeans,
soybean sprouts, potato) and Korea Food & Drug Administration for processed
products containing one of those four commodities as a component.
KENYA TO MARKET
GM CORN
The National Biosafety Committee has approved a request by the Kenya Agricultural
Research Institute (KARI) to import insect resistant corn. Romano Kiome, KARI
director, said that the seeds would have to undergo laboratory tests before
the seed materials are distributed to the farmers.
Agriculture Minister Bonaya Godana urged KARI to "redouble its efforts in providing
the farming community with technologies and knowledge that can enable them
to be competitive both in national and international markets".
Professor Francis Gichagas, chair of the newly launched KARI management board
and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, promised to steer
KARI in achieving its goal of developing the agricultural sector.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Plant Variety Protection Workshop Set
An intensive, hands-on program on plant variety protection as a tool to advance
investments in agriculture and increased agricultural productivity will be
held for policy makers, examiners and other interest groups.
The workshop which is being coordinated by Dodds & Associates, bioDevelopments-International
Institute, and SWIFTT at Cornell University, will be held at the offices of
Dodds & Associates in Washington DC. The workshop is restricted to 12 persons
and space will be allocated on a first pay basis. The workshop will be held
twice in 2002, from 7-12 July and from 21-26 July 2002.
Further details may be obtained by emailing either j.dodds@doddsassociates.com or anatole@bioDevelopments.org
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