KENYAN GOVERNMENT OKAYS USE OF BIOTECH
The Kenyan government has given its nod to the use of genetically
modified food in the country. President Mwai Kibaki said increased
incidents of drought and diseases demanded the use of modern
methods of farming to increase yields. He noted that Kenya
was losing Shs. 6 billion annually in corn stocks from stem
borer, which accounts for over 15 percent of total annual corn
output.
The President spoke at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute
(KARI) while commissioning the Level 2 Biosafety Greenhouse
Complex, one of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa for biotechnology
research. The facility was developed with support from the
International Center for Maize and Wheat Research (CIMMYT)
and the Kenya government through KARI. The facility allows
Kenya to conduct biotech research that conforms to international
biosafety standards.
“My government is committed to improving agricultural
performance through the adoption of modern technologies. Agricultural
biotechnology is one of the modern innovative approaches that
can make us overcome these constraints by ensuring that losses
are minimized”, explained Kibaki.
The President said that he is well aware of the debates surrounding
biotechnology but reiterated Kenya's resolve to apply modern
biotechnology in line with existing biosafety framework, national
statutes and international obligations. He said the new facility
symbolizes the government's commitment to improve agricultural
productivity and will allow Kenyan scientists and those in
the region to exploit scientific opportunities from biotechnology.
/Kenya Biotechnology Information Centre (KBIC)
For more of KBIC, visit http://www.isaaa-africenter.org.
BURKINA FASO
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON S & T
A “Ministerial Conference on Harnessing Science and Technology
to Increase Agricultural Productivity in Africa: West African
Perspectives” is currently ongoing in Ougadougou, Burkina
Faso, Africa to explore ways to increase agricultural productivity
and living standards. Co-hosting the event with the government
of Burkina Faso are the United States Department of State,
and the US Agency for International Development.
US Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman told the
group that the gathering was a follow-up regional conference
to the Ministerial
Conference and Expo on Agriculture Science and Technology held
in Sacramento, California. This conference “explored
ways to use science and technology to boost agricultural productivity
in an environmentally sustainable way to reduce global hunger
and poverty.”
Veneman announced that the Norman Borlaug International
Science and Technology Fellows Program will enable the scientific
training
and exchange of several African researchers, policymakers and
university faculty in the US. She said that “our goal
is to support and accelerate technological progress within
Africa. We want to increase access to beneficial agricultural
and food technologies, and to help build scientific capacity
and expertise within Africa.”
For the full transcription of Veneman's talk, visit http://www.usda.gov.
EUROPEAN VISION FOR PLANT BIOTECH
A vision paper on the long term strategy for
European plant biotechnology towards 2025 has just been presented
in Brussels.
Entitled “Plants for the future”, it will form
the basis for establishing a technology platform on plant biotechnology
in cooperation with all stakeholders. The paper was written
at the initiative of the European Commission, with representatives
from the food and biotech industry, research, farming community
and consumers' organizations. Among these groups include the
European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO) and EuropaBio, the
association of European bioindustries.
“European researchers and small companies have pioneered
the development of modern plant biotechnology”, said
European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin. “In
recent years, however, European investment in plant genomics
and biotechnology has stalled, partly as a result of a lack
of communication to the public of the potential benefits of
this technology. He stressed that with a proper regulatory
framework in place “we urgently need to take action to
reverse the exodus of European researchers and companies and
to strengthen the European knowledge base in this area to maintain
competitiveness of European agro-food and related industries”.
Marc Zabeau, chair of EPSO, added that basic and applied research
goals need to be prioritized that are tailored to the needs
of European society and agriculture and the food industries.
The expertise and capabilities of European plant scientists
also need to be effectively harnessed as well as partnerships
to develop and commercialize these products.
For
more details about the vision paper, visit http://www.epsoweb.org/catalog/TP/EPSO%20pressrelease
%20web_22Jun04.htm.
The text of the vision paper will also be available on the
following web sites http://www.epsoweb.org/catalog/TP/
index.htm, and http://www.europabio.org/plant_
genomics_platform.htm.
BIOTECH CATCHES UP AS CUTTING EDGE TECH SAYS ZAMBIAN MINISTER
“Information technology is a leading cutting edge technology,
but biotechnology is catching up”, said Dr. Paul Zambezi,
permanent secretary for the Zambian Ministry of Science, Technology
and Vocational Training. Zambia adopted a policy on biotechnology
and biosafety in 2003 and is now developing a strategy for
implementation. Public awareness is one of the key components.
Zambezi opened the biotechnology communication workshop organized
by the Biotechnology Outreach Society of Zambia (BOSZ) held
in Lusaka on June 17-18. The event was attended by over 50
representatives from the media, government departments, members
of parliament, and scientists.
“Zambia is in the process of creating an enabling environment
for safe and responsible biotechnology application. Communication
is needed for improved public understanding and a critical
mass of Zambians will have to be developed to act as communicators”,
urged Dr. Luke Mumba, chairperson of BOSZ. The meeting concluded
with participants submitting communication proposals that will
be compiled into a strategic plan. /AfricaBio and Biotechnology
Stakeholders Association
In related news, Egypt will provide training and other forms
of technical assistance to another African state, Tanzania,
to develop its capability to produce genetically modified crops.
SciDev.Net reported that Egypt's deputy prime minister and
minister for agriculture Youssef Wally gave this offer to a
visiting Tanzanian delegation.
Wally said that GM research is expensive and that Tanzania
should also seek assistance from China and India. Egypt is
presently doing tests on GM strains of cotton, sugarcane and
other crops although none have been commercialized yet.
See the full article online at http://www.scidev.net/news/
index.cfm?fuseaction=readnews&itemid=1437&language=1
HOBAN: BIOTECH COULD UNDERMINE CONSUMER CONFIDENCE
A booming organic market, biopharming or using food crops
for drug production, and animal cloning are some factors that
could trigger a consumer backlash on the acceptance of all
food biotechnology. This was stressed by Thomas Hoban, a North
Carolina State University sociologist, in a talk on emerging
social issues regarding food biotechnology with the United
States' Department of Agriculture's Advisory Committee on Biotechnology
and 21st Century Agriculture.
Hoban told the USDA panel that there is a need to recognize
that concerned consumers and food companies are already moving
toward organic foods. He recommended that crops with real consumer
benefits such as healthier oils, better taste, and shelf life
should be developed soon. In addition, he saw the need for
the US government to maintain a strong regulatory program to
ensure food safety, and to make sure that all farmers comply
with the requirements for insect resistance management, identity
preservation and regulatory approval.
The USDA committee is charged with examining the long-term
impact of biotechnology on the U.S. food and agriculture system
and providing guidance to USDA on pressing individual issues.
Email Tom Hoban at tom@sa.ncsu.edu.
AATF LAUNCHED IN NAIROBI
The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) was
officially launched in Nairobi, Kenya, by the country's Agriculture
Minister Kipruto Arap Kirwa. The Minister reiterated his support
for the use of biotechnology to boost food production in Africa.
Dr. Mpoko Bokanga, AATF Executive Director, said AATF will
work with existing institutions to address all the elements
of the product value chain - from creation, distribution and
creation of markets. The foundation's mission and core business
is to improve food security and reduce poverty among resource-poor
farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. This will be done by:
- Identifying
and facilitating royalty free transfers of proprietary technologies
through negotiation; and
- Entering
into contractual agreements with existing institutions
that will manage the deployment of the technologies and ensure
that subsequent constraints after access are addressed.
Its current partners include farmers and consumers, national,
regional and international institutions, non-government organizations,
agricultural technology industry intellectual property holders,
and African governments.
Dr Gordon Conway, President of the Rockefeller
Foundation, called on AATF to form strong partnerships and
linkages with
existing technology transfer institutions. He supported the
use of biotechnology to achieve what he described as “Doubly
Green Revolution” in Africa.
The foundation has identified four main projects to embark
on immediately. These are Striga control in maize, insect resistance
management for Africa, pro-vitamin A enhancement in maize,
and cowpea productivity improvement. /Kenya Biotechnology Information
Center (KBIC)
For more information on KBIC, visit http://www.isaaa-africenter.org or email Daniel Otunge of KBIC at dotunge@absfafrica.org.
EU AND JAPAN COLLABORATE ON BIOTECHNOLOGY
In line with the European Union (EU)-Japan summit that was
held last June 21, a business dialogue round table (BDRT) was
held to promote the continuous discussion on life sciences,
biotechnology, and collaborative research projects on sustainable
development. According to Cordis News, the BDRT recommended
closer cooperation in the life sciences and biotechnology between
the two countries.
Says EU President Romano Prodi, “I am
confident of a successful summit that will reflect the importance
of the EU-Japan
relationship, reinforcing our strategic partnership both in
the political and economic areas.”
The working groups on the life sciences and biotechnology
of the European Union and Japan are both newly organized, and
presented their initial recommendations during the summit.
Apart from the initial action plans, concerted efforts to promote
public acceptance of biotechnology were suggested by both parties.
On sustainable development, the recommended research projects
were on the technology development of alternative energy.
Read the news release at http://dbs.cordis.lu/cgi-bin/srchidadb?CALLER=NHP_EN_NEWS&ACTION=
D&SESSION=&RCN=EN_RCN_ID:22217.
And, for further information on the EU-Japan business dialogue
round table, visit http://www.eujapan.com/europe/roundtable.html.
NEW ROLE OF RNA IN PLANT DEVELOPMENT
According to a study conducted by biologists
at Rice University and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical
Research at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, the plant
microRNA “miR164,” which is among the first microRNA
discovered, plays a vital role in the proper development of
the flowers, leaves, and stems of Arabidopsis - a common genetic
model that is widely studied among all plant species. Research
results show that the miR164 is a crucial regulatory component
of the molecular circuitry that controls the basic organ development
in plants.
Three strains of Arabidopsis (one normal or wild-type strain,
and two mutant strains) were used in the experimentation. The
researchers observed the abnormal development of leaves and
flowers in both mutants. When miR164 regulation of a target
gene was absent, plants produced the wrong number of organs
(flowers tended to contain too many petals and too few sepals,
the husk-like coverings that protects the flower during budding
were different, etc). On the other hand, when too much miR164
was present, the organs tended to fuse together (sepals never
fully separated, the stamen grew together in a mass, etc).
RNA, or ribonucleic acid, is a chemical that
aids in translating the genetic code of DNA into a protein.
The messenger RNA contains
thousands of nucleotides, and is used by cells to combine amino
acids into proteins. MicroRNAs, on the other hand, are smaller
in structure and are about 20 nucleotides long. They are responsible
for "down-regulating" the production of certain plant
proteins.
Read the full news article at http://media.rice.edu/media/
Newsbot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=4470&SnID%20597787374.
ARS UNDERTAKES SORGHUM RESEARCH
Scott Bean of the Grain Quality and Structure Research Unit,
Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, Agricultural
Research Services (ARS) in Manhattan, Kansas, USA, is conducting
a research on sorghum to find the right cultivar that can be
used to introduce new products such as breads, waffles and
noodles. Together with scientists from Ireland and Germany,
Bean is currently studying the function of sorghum proteins.
According to Bean and colleagues, some varieties
of sorghum can be a source of cancer-fighting compounds,
and they also
contain high levels of phenols and tannins, two important plant
compounds. Further, sorghum brans are high in dietary fiber,
and low in gluten content - making it attractive to many consumers
in the US. Unfortunately, according to Bean, these gluten proteins
(in wheat, etc) aid in the grain flour's visco-elasticity.
In the US, sorghum is considered safe for the 1 to 2 million
people diagnosed with “celiac disease” or gluten
intolerance.
Lastly, in addition to investigating which sorghum varieties
are suitable in making bread and other products, Bean and colleagues
are researching on recipes for baked goods that can be made
from grain, including breakfast food for those with gluten
intolerance.
Email Scott Bean at scott@gmprc.ksu.edu for more information.
And, read more about his sorghum research at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun04/cows0604.htm.
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