In
This Issue:
DANISH
PAPER SETS PRINCIPLES FOR BIOTECH COOP
Twelve principles for plant biotech cooperation between developed and the developing
countries were formulated by a team from the Danish Institute of Agricultural
Sciences. These principles were part of the conclusions and recommendations
of a working paper on the "Assessment of potentials and constraints for development
and use of plant biotechnology in relation to plant breeding and crop production
in developing countries." The paper was commissioned by the Danish Agency for
Development Assistance (DANIDA) in order for it to strengthen its knowledge
base on crop biotech as a donor in developing countries.
Plant biotechnology support, according to the principles, should among others:
-
Be
demand-driven. A survey should be performed to define high priority
areas.
-
Be
properly anchored in the recipient country. The country should
be assisted in developing the proper institutional and organizational
set-up for future collaboration with institutions in the developed
countries.
-
Comply
with international and national legislation prior to the launching
of the collaboration.
-
Be
focused. Particular problems in particular countries should be
addressed with sufficient resources to make the necessary impact.
-
Devote
resources to negotiate intellectual property rights with external
patent holders, perhaps via intermediaries such as ISNAR and
ISAAA.
-
Have
clear objectives. These might be short-term applied projects
but could also be long term initiatives in genomics and functional
genomics addressing crops and plant traits of particular relevance
for developing countries.
-
Devote
part of the resources to technology development.
The
working paper on modern plant biotechnology addresses not only technological
possibilities but also intellectual property rights, trade, environmental
and health related risks, and ethical issues.
The
full paper is available at http://www.um.dk/upload/publikationer/Danida_Low_Res_Web.pdf
PUBLIC
POORLY INFORMED ABOUT AGRI-BIOTECH IN EUROPE
The Agricultural Biotechnology in Europe (ABE), an initiative by the major
crop biotechnology companies in Europe, has released an issue paper on public
attitudes to agricultural biotechnology. The paper is ABE's contribution to "facilitating
an open debate on how biotechnology will be applied in agriculture in ways
that society finds acceptable."
Despite the prevailing notion that the public in Europe rejects the use of
biotechnology outside the laboratory, independent research shows quite consistently
that most people feel too poorly informed to come to a sensible conclusion.
Some important conclusions from the report show that:
-
Most
people are not anti-science or anti-technology. There is every
reason to suppose that they will accept modern biotechnology
if properly applied.
-
The
majority of the public wants more and better information on which
to base decisions.
-
Consumer
surveys show that people do not necessarily become more comfortable
when they know more. This is a reflection of a lack of trust
and confidence in the institutions of modern society, compounded
by the recent experiences of real food safety issues.
-
This
situation will change as people become more familiar with modern
biotechnology and its applications, and realize that the dire
consequences suggested by some have not happened. The setting
up of the European Food Agency and increasing trust in the ability
of EU and national authorities to assure a safe food supply should
be a big positive factor in the long term.
The
full paper is available at http://www.ABEurope.info
MISUNDERSTOOD
PUBLIC CAUSE FOR IMPASSE IN GM DEBATE
Most stakeholders in the GM debate misunderstand public responses to genetically
modified organisms (GMOs). This represents one of the key underlying causes
for the current impasse in the GM debate.
Public responses to GMOs in decision-making circles were framed either in terms
of a lack of knowledge or of 'non-scientific' ethical concerns. It was noticed
that the dominant characterizations of the public and the policies which derive
from them do not capture the full nature of public concerns, nor do they recognize
the social, cultural and institutional factors shaping those concerns.
This conclusion was derived from the final report of the PABE research project
on "Public perceptions of agricultural biotechnologies in Europe" funded by
the Commission of European Communities. A research team from five European
countries led by Brian Wynne from UK's Lancaster University conducted an in-depth
study on public attitudes, perceptions and evaluations of biotechnology in
agriculture and food.
According to the report, these mistaken interpretations of public perceptions
play an influential role in shaping the communication strategies and policies
of decision makers in government and business, as well as in consumer and environmental
groups. Hence, policies, says the report, continue to fail to respond adequately
to public demands and therefore fail to resolve or advance the debate.
The research team adds that there is a need for a broad based cultural change
in policy thinking about public perceptions of science, technology, and risks.
The full report is available at http://www.pabe.net and
also at http://www.inra.fr/Internet/Directions/
SED/science-gouvernance
CIMMYT
REPEATS: NO GM IN MAIZE GENE BANKS
As part of their continuing effort to characterize maize gene bank accessions
and breeding materials, scientists from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement
Center's (CIMMYT) Applied Biotechnology Center and Maize Program recently conducted
another set of screens aimed at detecting the presence of transgenes in an
additional 28 Mexican landraces.
None of the materials tested were positive for the common transgenic promoter
(cauliflower mosaic virus 35S, abbreviated as CaMV 35S) associated with transgenic
maize. If the promoter had been found and those results verified, it would
have indicated that a transgenic maize plant had crossed with the sampled maize
or a direct ancestor.
Seed for all 28 landraces was collected in the Mexican state of Oaxaca during
1997-99; 18 of the samples come from accessions maintained in CIMMYT's
maize germplasm bank (part of the Wellhausen-Anderson Plant Genetic Resources
Center) and are designated as being held "in trust" for the benefit of
humanity under a 1997 agreement with FAO, which means they must be kept
free from any intellectual property restrictions (such as patents).
The other 10 samples represent varied maize races from Mixteca, a region in
southeast Mexico that includes parts of Oaxaca and Puebla states. To date,
CIMMYT specialists have screened 152 Mexican landraces and failed to detect
the presence of the CaMV 35S promoter.
Visit http://www.cimmyt.cgiar.org for
more about CIMMYT.
MONSANTO
TO RELEASE SOYBEAN GENETIC MATERIAL
Monsanto Company will release approximately 200 Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR)
genetic markers to accelerate the development of a soybean with improved oils,
better yields and more protein. Monsanto and United States Department of Agriculture
cooperated in the development of this technology.
Dr.
Perry Cregan, a researcher with the Agricultural Research Service
of the USDA, developed the markers at the Soybean Genomic and Improvement
Laboratory of the Plant Sciences Institute at the Beltsville Agricultural
Research Center in Maryland. Monsanto will release these genetic
markers to the United Soybean Board's checkoff-funded Better Bean
Initiative. They will be made available to the public sector via
the USB's Technology Utilization Center during May 2002. Genetic
markers identify the specific location of a genetic trait of interest
on a chromosome. By flagging the desired trait, plant breeders can
breed plants more efficiently. These markers enable researchers to
rapidly analyze soybean plants and identify individuals that have
the best expression of a desired trait, e.g., yield or oil content.
This
is the third commitment of genetic material that Monsanto has made
to the checkoff-funded Better Bean Initiative in the past two years.
In May 2001, the company donated a Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) genetic
marker to the Better Bean Initiative. This genetic marker identifies
the low palmitic fatty acid trait within the soybean genome and is
expected to quickly accelerate the Better Bean Initiative's goal
of developing a low saturate soybean.
Monsanto's
website is http://www.monsanto.com.
For more information on the United Soybean Board and the soybean
checkoff, visit http://www.unitedsoybean.org.
FAO
E-MAIL CONFERENCE: GMOS AND GENE FLOW
Conference 7 of the FAO Electronic Forum on Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture
is due to begin around 1st June and deals with the issue of gene flow from
GM to non-GM agricultural populations in developing countries (in the animal,
crop, fishery and forestry sectors). A Background Document will be provided
to Forum Members before the conference. The conference is open to everyone
and will run for about 1 month. It is moderated and all messages posted during
the conference will be placed on the Forum website (http://www.fao.org/biotech/forum.asp).
For
more information, contact biotech-mod3@fao.org.
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e-mail to mailserv@mailserv.fao.org leaving
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