In This
Issue:
VATICAN
TO MEET ON BIOTECH CROPS
The
Vatican will call experts to a meeting to study the ethical and
scientific implications of biotech crops. It hopes to “draw
the appropriate conclusions" on using genetically modified
organisms.
Associated
Press reports that Cardinal Renato Martino told Vatican Radio that "The
problem of hunger involves the conscience of every man and in particular
those of the Christians." For this reason the Catholic Church
follows with special interest and solicitude every development
in science to help the solution of a plight that afflicts such
a large part of humanity."
The Pontifical Council on Justice and Peace, which Martino heads, will organize
the meeting whose date has not been decided yet.
For more details see http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2003-08-04-vatican-biotech_x.htm
BUDAPEST DECLARATION:
IMPLEMENT S & T GLOBAL ASSESSMENT
A Budapest
Declaration has urged the implementation of a two and a half year
global assessment on how agricultural science, knowledge and technology
can contribute to improving rural livelihoods and poverty reduction
in low income countries.
A multi-sectoral
group attended this meeting in Budapest where they agreed on a
shared vision and the modalities on how a global assessment should
be conducted. This output was realized after seven months of regional
and global consultations hosted by the World Bank with representatives
from governments of developed and developing countries, environmental
and non-governmental organizations, international multilateral
organizations, and other stakeholders.
The
Assessment will focus on a wide array of economic, environmental,
ethical, and social considerations to provide a comprehensive analysis
of issues critical to policy formulation. It will also analyze
the implications of current and potential future technologies.
“The
Assessment will help the scientific communities in their efforts
to find innovative science based solutions to the problems of hunger,
poverty, and food insecurity, “says Mohamed H.A. Hassan,
Executive Director, Third World Academy of Sciences.
The
exercise is estimated to cost US$15 million and will be conducted
by an intergovernmental structure with a multi-stakeholder Bureau. Decisions
will be taken by governments in plenary meetings which will be
open to all stakeholders. According to the proposal, the
Assessment should be co-sponsored by a combination of UN agencies
and the World Bank.
For
more information, contact Sergio Jellinek at Sjellinek@worldbank.org or
Kristyn Ebro at Kebro@worldbank.org.
Visit the website http://www.agassessment.org for
details of the Assessment.
PEW ON US-EUROPE
TRADE DISPUTE
The
Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology has issued an updated
issue brief on recent activities relating to the trade dispute
between the US and the European Union on genetically modified (GM)
food. The paper summarizes the history of the GM food issue in
Europe, the legislation recently passed by the EU Parliament, impacts
on US-EU agricultural trade, and other background issues dividing
the US and EU on this topic.
Some
of the insights in this paper are:
- Europe’s
rejection of GM foods has hurt US exports, i.e. corn, cotton,
and soybeans.
- Food
crises like the “mad cow disease, and dioxin-tainted meat,
and foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks have shaped European opinion.
Although not caused by GM foods, they have been lumped with the
general concern about food safety.
- Additional
factors related to the rejection of GM foods include historical
and cultural context in which Europeans view food differently
than Americans, and the context of food surplus.
For
the full report visit http://pewagbiotech.org/resources/issuebriefs/europe.pdf
FAO REPORT ON
BIOTECH IN BALKAN STATES
The
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently published a report
entitled “Status of Agricultural Biotechnology and Biosafety
in Selected Countries of the Balkans, the Caucasus and Moldova.”
The
report profiles biotechnology and biosafety issues in five Balkan
states, namely: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (TFYRM), the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), and the Caucasian states of
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova.
Findings
of the report show that although infrastructures that could support
biotechnology research and development are available in these states,
funding is still limited to adequately sustain the other services
(water, electricity, etc). Private enterprise has also played a
minor role in the development and application of biotechnology
to agriculture, particularly in Caucasus.
The
report also illustrates basic biotechnologies such as tissue culture,
micropropagation, fermentation techniques and artificial insemination,
which have been successfully applied to agricultural and horticultural
production.
To date,
the issue of biosafety is important for both subregions as genetically
modified organisms (GMOs) have already been released in the environment,
either deliberately (through commerce) or accidentally (through
food-aid). GMOS are also suspected to may have spread via unmonitored
cross-border trade and possibly through gene flow and gene dispersal.
Legislations governing GMOs, IPR and biosafety policies are still
being developed.
Read
the full report at ftp://ftp.fao.org/sd/SDR/SDRR/REUBIOSAFETY4-2.doc.
NEW GUIDELINES ON SCIENCE AND HEALTH COMMUNICATION
A set
of guidelines on science and health communication was prepared
by the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) in partnership with
the Royal Society and the Royal Institution of Great Britain.
These
guidelines were conceptualized in response to the concern expressed
within both the science and health communities about how scientific
issues are often reported by the media. Through these guidelines
it is hoped that stories that have negative impact, such as ‘scare
stories’ and stories that give false hope to the seriously
ill, will be minimized.
The
authors believe that there is a common ground wherein all responsible
journalists and scientists can meet. When an agreement has been
made, the public would then have access to accurate information.
This practice would also aid in minimizing the chances of reporting
misleading or inaccurate information that could distress certain
groups or provoke unfounded public opinions.
Lastly,
the authors recommend that both journalists and scientists concerned
with the general reporting of research results take into consideration
the possible public reactions. Likewise, the manner in which the
research results will be reported should also be carefully decided
upon.
A copy
of the guidelines is available at http://www.sirc.org/publik/revised_guidelines.shtml
KONSTANTIN GEORGEVICH
ON BIOTECH IN RUSSIA
“Biotechnology
makes it possible to produce new medicines and diagnostic tools.
It also brings new possibilities in the area of agriculture,” says
Konstantin Georgevich, a member of the Russian President’s
Council on Science and Technology, Rosbalt reports.
Konstantin
Georgevich added that the Russian government will be financing
10 projects in the area of advanced technology, and one of the
areas identified was biotechnology. This biotech project involves
the creation of an agricultural crop that is resistant to the Colorado
beetle.
In a
related event, the XI International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe
Interactions, organized by the Russian Ministry of Science, Industry
and Technology, and the Ministry of Agriculture, was recently held
in Saint Petersburg.
The
Congress was attended by 150 Russian scientists and 600 foreign
scientists from 64 countries. Discussed during the Congress were
the latest developments in biotechnology research.
The
Rosbalt news release can be downloaded at http://www.rosbaltnews.com/2003/08/04/63661.html
CONSUMERS WILLING TO PAY MORE FOR NON-GM FOODS
Are
consumers willing to pay for genetically modified (GM) versus non-GM
foods in the marketplace? A research project by Wen Chern of the
Ohio State University and his colleagues found that consumers are
willing to pay substantial premiums for non-GM foods (vegetable
oil and salmon) to avoid GM counterparts. These premiums may exceed
50% of the discounted prices of GM foods.
The
research team conducted student surveys in Norway, Japan, Taiwan
and the US to make cross-country comparisons. Results reveal that
American and Taiwanese students were more favorable to GM foods
than Norwegian and Japanese students. Majority of students supported
mandatory labeling of GM foods. An analysis of the respondents’ willing
to pay (WTP) reveal that respondents were amenable to paying more
for non-GM foods.
The
research team concluded that the high WTP for non-GM vegetable
oil and salmon could encourage manufacturers to label their non-GM
products to capture high market premiums. However, they noted that
labeling incentives would depend on costs of labeling and food
manufacturers’ belief on WTP estimates.
The
full paper entitled “Consumer Acceptance and Willingness
to Pay for Genetically Modified Vegetable Oil and Salmon: A Multiple
Country Assessment” is available online at http://www.agbioforum.org/v5n3/v5n3a05-chern.htm.
USDA SCIENTISTS
DISCOVER MAIZE MAP
Scientists
from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) are currently mapping
the biggest plant genome ever. Currently mapped as having 2.5 billion
base pairs, the genome of maize or corn (Zea mays) is about the
same size as the human genome.
Scientists
have already discovered useful traits, but they are still aiming
for the detailed sequencing of the entire maize genome.
According
to Ed Coe, Director of the Maize Mapping Project, two maps are
currently under way. One is a high-resolution genetic map that
shows the relative positions of different genes. The other is a
physical map which is composed of over-lapping cloned gene fragments
which gives the distances between the genes. The two maps are being
combined to create a scaled map of gene positions.
To date,
Coe states that 95% of the physical map and about half of it has
been anchored to the genetic map. The entire project also involves
scientists from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and the universities
of Arizona and Georgia.
The
full story was published in Nature, Vol. 24 last July 31, 2003.
It can also be downloaded at http://www.nature.com/nature.
GE REQUIRES UNDERSTANDING
OF MACRO SYSTEM
Evolving
techniques for redesigning organisms have enormous potential but
they must be matched with equally sophisticated methods for evaluating
their benefits and risks. Allison Snow of the Department of Evolution,
Ohio State University, adds that despite “tangled regulatory
systems and huge obstacles with public acceptance, harmless and
beneficial use of genetic engineering (GE) should be allowed to
move forward in an ethical and scientifically informed manner.”
Snow
shares her views in a paper entitled “Unnatural Selection” published
in the August 2003, Vol. 424 of Nature. She says that independent
health and environmental experts can play a valuable role in guiding
decisions about research on genetic engineering. However, she notes
that consumers will often have the final say as to what genetically
engineered crops will ultimately be adopted.
See
Nature online at http://www.nature.com/nature.
USDA TO REQUIRE PERMITS FOR ALL INDUSTRIAL BIOTECH PLANTS
The
US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) is amending its biotechnology regulations with
regard to plants designed to produce industrial compounds. Entities
which intend to move, field test or import these types of engineered
plants must apply for a permit.
Previously,
APHIS allowed these actions to be covered under its notification
process. However, requests involving genetically engineered industrial
plants have utilized new, less familiar processes and non-food,
non-feed traits that no longer qualify for the notification process.
The
details of this new development is available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/news/2003/08/bioplants_brs.html | 
