In This
Issue:
PUBLIC SECTOR IN INDIA TAKES LEAD IN GM RESEARCH
Over 20 public
academic and research institutions in India are doing transgenic research
and application on 16 crops. In contrast, seven
private companies
are doing research on 10 crops. This was reported by M. Sharma, K.S. Charak,
and T.V. Ramanaiah of the Department of Biotechnology in the journal Current
Science and cited in the monograph on “Biosafety Issues Related to Transgenic
Crops” prepared by the Biotech Consortium India Limited in Delhi, India.
Academic institutions include the Assam Agricultural University, Delhi University,
Jawaharlal Nehru University, Madurai Kamraj University, and the University
of Agricultural Sciences Bangalore. Among the research institutions are the
Central Institute for Cotton Research, Central Rice Research Insitute, Indian
Agricultural Research Institute, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research,
and the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics. These
institutes are doing genetically modified (GM) research on chickpea, rice,
cotton, potato, tobacco, mustard, tomato, brinjal, wheat, cauliflower, cabbage,
banana, and brassica. Twelve of these institutions are doing GM research on
rice with such traits as: stress tolerance, herbicide tolerance, and insect
and pest resistance.
Representing the private sector are such companies as: Ankur Seeds Ltd, Hybrid
Rice International, MAHYCO, and Proagro PGS India. They are presently working
on cotton, rice, tomato, cotton, pigeonpea, rice, mustard, brassica, cauliflower,
and maize. The companies have transgenic lines in the advanced stage of development
for field trials.
The government of India has already approved the commercialization of three
Bt cotton hybrids for a three-year cultivation after extensive field trials.
Bt cotton is already being grown in the six states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
For more information on the BCIL publication, email bcildelhi@vsnl.com.
EAST AFRICAN FORESTRY CONFERENCE HELD IN NAIROBI
The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications
(ISAAA) AfriCentre held a two-day regional conference on Tree Biotechnology
in Nairobi, Kenya. The conference, which was officially opened by Kenya's Minister
for Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife, Dr Newton Kulundu, brought
together over 60 tree biotechnology stakeholders from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania,
Ethiopia, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
During the conference,
the Minister emphasized the need to adopt new forest technologies to enhance
the regeneration of forests to meet the demand for
trees and tree products. Dr Kulundu also called for the close cooperation and
partnership between governments and regional forestry stakeholders, saying
that such a move was critical in scaling up forestry development in the region.
The Minister also
urged the participants to conceptualize a framework that will address the
regional, national and local needs, and meet wider international
obligations that will put all African countries at par with the global trends
in forestry development. According to Dr. Kulundu, this can be achieved only
through wide consultations with interested and affected parties, addressing
aspects of forestry policy and legislation to match present needs and the
gradual devolution of forest management to grassroots communities.
Prof. Julian Evans, the chairperson of the conference, identified five main
issues that emerged from the meeting. This includes:
- The tree biotech
concept is sound, but viable genetic and top quality clonal material is crucial
for its success.
- Best quality material can be wasted if poor site selection or poor
care and maintenance cannot be assured.
- Tree biotech has great potential for both small and large scale
farmers.
- High adoption rates will depend on good promotion, marketing
and distribution strategies.
- Reliance on the state to spearhead forestry development
is no longer an option for it can only provide an enabling
environment for private sector participation.
For more information about the conference, visit the ISAAA AfriCentre website
at http://www.isaaa-africenter.org/
EU BOOSTS ITS ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES
The European Union (EU) Commission recently released its environmental technology
action plan or ETAP which aims to boost environmental technologies for innovation,
growth and sustainable development. The action plan is envisioned to boost
new technologies that have the potential to improve the environment. These
said technologies include: recycling systems for waste water industrial processes,
energy-saving car engines that uses less fuel, and soil remediation techniques.
The ETAP further includes the launching of technology platforms with stakeholders
in areas such as hydrogen and fuel cells, photovoltaics, and water supply and
sanitation. It also aims to establish environmental performance targets for
various products and services.
Other technologies needed to manage pollution (e.g. air pollution control,
waste management), less polluting and less resource-intensive products and
services (e.g. fuel cells), and ways to manage resources more efficiently (e.g.
water supply, energy-saving technologies) were also included in the plan. White
biotechnology, which is already used to make enzymes, vitamins, food additives
and drugs; and has the potential to produce energy from biomass, will also
be prioritized.
Read the action
plan at http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.
gettxt=gt&doc=IP/04/117|0|RAPID&lg=en&display.
More information about white biotechnology and its applications can be see
at the EuropaBio website: http://www.europabio.org/pages/white_biotech.asp.
GM INFORMATION GAP INFLUENCES CONSUMER CHOICE
Consumers are likely to buy genetically modified (GM) food
if they see the words “genetically modified” spelled out on the
label. At present, consumers feel ill-informed about GM foods since producers
currently provide
little information to educate their customers. Says Pamela Brady of the Institute
of Food Science and Engineering, University of Arkansas, and John T. Brady
of the Department of Consumer and Textile Sciences, Ohio State University-Lima.
The authors’ research show that people who are more abreast
of biotechnology news are more likely to buy food products that are classified
as GM. They added
that the more educated consumers are, the more knowledgeable they are about
GM food. Also, most consumers at all education levels stated that they have
heard of GM food, but they felt that the information that they know is not
adequate enough. More than 90% of the respondents stated that food labels should
carry more information about products that are genetically modified.
Brady and Brady concluded that food companies that produce GM food products
and educators should be responsible in educating and proving information about
these type of food products.
The press release from the University of Arkansas can be downloaded at http://www.advancement.uark.edu/news/JAN04/brady04.html.
CONSUMERS IN SLOVAKIA THINK GMOS ARE USEFUL
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign
Agricultural Service’s
Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN) recently published a report on
the consumer perceptions of biotechnology in Slovakia. According to the recent
survey, more than half of the Slovaks think biotechnology and genetically modified
organisms (GMOs) are “useful” or “rather useful” in
agriculture, medicine and ecology.
However, majority of the consumers remained negative about
the science’s
use in the food sector. With regards to the available information on biotechnology,
40% of the respondents think that there is limited information about the science
in Slovakia, and almost 21% have never heard of GMOs, in general.
Less than 25% of the respondents were also aware that there are already existing
laws and regulations for biotech products in Slovakia. Further, scientific
institutions, medical associations and non-governmental environmental organizations
are the institutions that most Slovaks trust to protect their interests and
rights.
Read the GAIN Report at http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200401/146105237.pdf.
USDA-ARS: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES FOR SOYBEAN OIL
The USDA-ARS Plant Genetics Research Unit, Donald Danforth
Plant Science Center, has released a report stating the significant progress
made in the genetic
improvement of soybean oil for industrial uses and the considerable prospects
for continued research progress. In a paper entitled “Genetic Enhancement
of Soybean Oil for Industrial Uses: Prospects and Challenges,” the author
discussed the highlights of improving industrial properties by genetic enrichment
of specific fatty acid components and transgenic production of novel fatty
acids in soybean oil.
Genetically enriched high oleic acid and high linolenic acid oils were deemed
to complement ongoing research aimed at augmenting the industrial value of
soybean oil. High-oleic soybeans produce oils with high oxidative stability,
a critical property for lubricants. High-oleic soybeans are the only ones with
genetically modified oil compositions commercially used for industrial applications.
In contrast, recent research has also produced soybean oils with high levels
of linolenic acid, a type of fatty acid with low oxidative stability. This
type of genetically modified soybean oil has linolenic acid levels that are
parallel to linseed oil. Low oxidative stability is a desirable property for
drying oils that are used in coating applications, such as paints, inks, and
varnishes.
Developments in the transgenic production of novel fatty acids in soybean
oil were also cited. Oils rich in conjugated fatty acids are believed to have
superior properties as drying oils in coating applications. Moreover, these
oils are more oxidatively unstable than linolenic acid-rich oils.
Further, the report emphasized the difficulty in obtaining the above traits
through conventional plant breeding methods rather than through genetic engineering.
Despite the technical successes, the wide use of genetically engineered soybean
oils still face an uncertain future due to costs associated with regulatory
approval and identity preservation.
A copy of this report is available at: http://www.agbioforum.org/v6n12/v6n12a04-cahoon.htm
LEGAL RISK MANAGEMENT AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
In a legal backgrounder entitled “Engineering Legal Risk Management
Into Agricultural Biotechnology,” Thomas Redick, chair of the Agricultural
Management Committee for the American Bar Association’s Section on Environment,
Energy and Resources discussed the importance of a coordinated strategy between
growers and biotech companies needed to prevent economic cataclysmic impacts
and devastating legal precedents.
Citing Starlink ™ corn’s seminal “public nuisance” decision
and the Liberty Link ™ soybean negotiations, the author presented the
need for agricultural biotechnology companies to contain unapproved biotech
crops in closed-loop production systems. He stressed that it is necessary for
the biotech industry to neutralize threats posed by legal actions in order
to play its important and inevitable role in agricultural production.
Moreover, it was also explained that the economic threat posed by biotech
crops to the marketplace is vastly outweighed by the threat to the agricultural
biotechnology industry from such novel legal management. Redick concluded that
the economic impact upon the U.S. and world economy from the threatened loss
of future innovation in agricultural biotechnology can be avoided through careful
legal planning and cooperation.
The full article can be downloaded at: http://www.wlf.org/upload/1-16-04-reddick.pdf
BIOTECHNOLOGY IN THE SOYBEAN MARKET PLACE The paper of Steven Sonka entitled “The Dynamics of Biotechnology in
the Soybean Marketplace,” explored the market system dynamics connected
with the recent and potential future adoption of biotechnology in the soybean
marketplace. It was observed that the “rapid” and “dramatic” adoption
of herbicide-tolerant varieties has had a focal production impact in the United
States, Argentina, and Brazil.
The economic benefits from such adoption increased and benefited
both the adopting and non-adopting producers as well as firms providing the
technology.
However, firms providing substitute weed control systems were found to suffer
from economic losses. Sonka stated the need for alternative market channel
mechanisms and infrastructure in order to deliver soybeans with differentiated
traits to customers and extend the capabilities of today’s commodity
system.
Investigation on the dynamics of marketing systems facing technological changes
resulted to a mismatch in the decision expectations between investing in biotechnology
and investing in transportation, handling, and logistical infrastructure. Further,
it was established that it is probable for relationships along the agricultural
supply chain to change substantially. These changes can include horizontal
and vertical consolidation as well as alliances among agricultural firms replacing
the traditional commodity channel.
The study can be viewed at: http://www.agbioforum.org/v6n12/v6n12a09-sonka.htm
ANNOUNCEMENTS
WORLD CONGRESS ON INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOPROCESSING
The first World
Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing will be held on April
21 to 23, 2004 at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel
in Orlando, Florida. Jointly hosted by the Biotechnology Industry Organization
(BIO), the American Chemical Society, and the National Agriculture Biotechnology
Council, the congress focuses on how industrial biotechnology is currently
used to transform manufacturing, chemical synthesis, and energy production.
The conversion of agricultural wastes, such as corn stalks and rice, into new
consumer goods will also be highlighted. More information about the World Congress
can be seen at http://www.bio.org/worldcongress.
EXEC SUMMARY OF ISAAA BRIEFS 30 IN PORTUGUESE
The Portuguese version of the Executive Summary of ISAAA Briefs 30, written
by Dr. Clive James, Chair, ISAAA Board of Directors, is now available online
at http://www.isaaa.org/kc. The press release of ISAAA Briefs No. 30 is also
available in French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Spanish,
Spanish-Argentinian, and Thai, which are all downloadable from the same site.
SUMMARY REPORT ON THE GLOBAL STATUS OF GM CROPS IN 2003
The Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology (KC) has recently released
the summary report on the current global status of GM crops. This latest data
is downloadable at http://www.isaaa.org/kc.
APOLOGIES FOR THE JAN 23 ISSUE
We would like to again convey our sincerest apologies for the technical problem
experienced last January 23, 2004, where a number of subscribers did not receive
their copies of the Update. We hope that all of our valued subscribers have
already received the said issue by now. To view the said issues, please visit
our website, http://www.isaaa.org/kc. |
