| THAILAND
TO REVIEW GM POLICY The
Thai Cabinet has reversed an earlier decision to allow field
trials and commercialization of genetically modified (GM)
crops. Instead, an academic committee composed of biotechnology
experts has been set up to review the national policy on the
planting of GM crops. The creation of this GM committee was
announced by Science Minister Korn Dabbaransri.
The committee will consider three alternatives:
completely promote genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in
Thailand; allow the co-existence of GMOs and non-GMO crops;
or to totally ban GMOs in the country.
Agriculture Minister Somsak Thepsuthin. who
had earlier announced that Thailand would allow GM crops to
co-exist with conventional varieties, said that Thai legislation
was lagging behind the developed world and that he would call
for a review of current laws.
The Thai Cabinet likewise instructed the Ministry
of Natural Resources and the Environment to expedite the passage
of legislation concerning biosafety.
EU ADVISORY
GROUP ON FOOD CHAIN
The Advisory
Group on the Food Chain and Animal and Plant Health has been
created to facilitate consultation and dialogue between the
European Commission and European organizations on food safety
policy. The group will be composed of about 45 members from
EU-level associations representing consumers, the food industry,
retailers and farmers.
David
Byrne, the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection,
said “Debate and dialogue with stakeholders helps strengthen
the quality of our policy making and is an essential component
of good governance. Over the past few years the EU has put
in place a world-class system of food safety regulation. It
is appropriate that today we also modernize our system for
consulting on food safety.”
The
new Advisory Group replaces five existing consultative bodies
- the Advisory Committee on Foodstuffs, plus the standing
groups on veterinary matters, plant health, animal welfare
and feeding stuffs previously attached to the Advisory Committee
on Agricultural Product Health and Safety. The new Advisory
Group will focus on strategies on food safety policies.
For
further information see http://europa.eu.int/comm/
food/committees/advisory/index_en.htm or visit http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?
reference=IP/04/1051&format=HTML&aged=
0&language=EN
WTO
DELAYS DECISION ON EU BIOTECH BAN
The World
Trade Organization (WTO), acting on a request by the European
Union, ruled that it would seek expert testimony before deciding
on the complaint filed last year by the United States, Canada
and Argentina over the E.U.'s moratorium on approving genetically
modified foods for sale in Europe. That means the panel's
report, initially expected before the end of this year, will
be delayed until late March, according to WTO documents.
The E.U.
ended its six-year moratorium in May when it allowed onto
the market a modified strain of sweet corn, grown mainly in
the United States. Unease over the use of GM crops is still
rife in Europe, however, despite the stringent labeling requirements
of the European Union, and rigorous scientific testing of
GM foods.
The
full story can be found at http://pewagbiotech.org/
newsroom/ summaries/display.php3?NewsID=736
INDIA PLANS
NEW POLICIES TO SUPPORT BIOTECH PROJECTS
The
Indian government is formulating new policies to boost investment
and research in the local biotechnology sector. These include
promoting the speedy approval of GMO crops, and funding and
infrastructure support for public-private partnership programs
in the key areas of crops, biofertilizers, medicinal and aromatic
plants, animal and plant biotechnology, aquaculture, and marine
biotechnology.
The issue
of biosafety will also be taken into consideration, and although
the government seeks active collaboration with foreign entities
for its biotechnology projects, it would welcome such entities
only if biosafety standards will be complied with. "Biotechnology
and bio-safety must go hand in hand," Kapil Sibal, Science
and Technology Minister, said in an interview.
The new
policies should be in place within eight to nine months, and
seek to emphasize the use of biotechnology to increase food
production, as well as to organize research and development
projects to improve forest trees, horticulture, and plantation
crops through the use of molecular biology tools.
The
full story is available at Financial Express online at http://www.financialexpress.com/latest_full_story.
php?content_id=67557
INDIA SETS
UP LOCAL BIOTECH PARK
A
600 sq km area in Genome Valley, Hyderabad, India will soon
be home to the Shapoorji Pallonji (SP) Biotech Park Pvt Ltd.,
an “incubation center” set up in association with
the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Centre
for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), and in cooperation
with a few US-based research institutes, including the International
Association of Science Parks, Biotech Industrial Organization,
and Research Triangle Park.
The
region of Hyderabad has a large number of research laboratories,
corporate hospitals, and centers of excellence in biotechnology.
With the biotechnology park, research and development may
instantly go hand-in-hand, through the introduction of a network
of pilot plants and business enterprise zones. As a step towards
this, the SP Biotech Park is now working with the Imperial
College of London to boost entrepreneurship skills among budding
scientists.
About
70 per cent of bookings have already been completed, with
13 companies expressing interest for the first phase of the
project, covering an area of 140 acres in the Genome Valley.
The second phase, which starts by October, involves a 25-acre
area already booked by Hyderabad-based biotech firm, Biological
E Ltd.
The
full story is available at Financial Express online at http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.
php?content_id=67475. Details on the park can also be
found at its website, http://www.spbiotechpark.com
TAIWAN TO
SET-UP BIOTECH COMMITTEE
Premier
Yu Shyi-kun of Taiwan pledged his commitment to establish
a Biotech Industry Strategy Consulting Committee, which would
consolidate and integrate the country's biotech-based promotion
organizations and research institutes. This was after the
recently concluded annual Strategic Review Board (SRB) meetings,
organized by the Cabinet-level Science & Technology Advisory
Group (STAG) to formulate technology strategies and policy.
Meeting
delegates noted that Taiwan was falling behind its regional
competitors in the area of biotechnology, and recommended
that an independent body was needed to steer the future direction
of life sciences in Taiwan. Premier Yu gave his support to
the concept, and pledged that if a suitable leader could not
be quickly found to head the committee, he would take on the
job himself.
Other
recommendations included calls to increase government investment,
improve the efficiency of the drug approval process, improve
the training of personnel for the industry, and recruit more
talented professionals from overseas.
The
full story is available at http://www.biotecheast.com/
twbiotechnews_30Aug04.html.
MONSANTO TO
COMMERCIALIZE LOW-LINOLEIC SOYBEAN
A
new low-linolenic acid soybean that will reduce or eliminate
trans fatty acids (trans fats) in processed soybean oil, while
maintaining performance parity with leading soybean varieties,
has been developed and is now ready for commercialization.
The Monsanto variety carrying the VISTIVE brand will be available
for the 2005 crop season.
Produced
through conventional breeding, the soybean variety will be
grown by contract growers who, in participation with soybean
processors, will crush the grain, refine the oil, and market
that oil to food companies. The low-linolenic oil offers direct
consumer benefits, specifically enhanced food-grade oils.
For
more details of the new soybean, visit http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/
layout/media/04/09-01-04.asp
WILD CROP
SPECIES BOOST GENETIC DIVERSITY
Researchers
in China crossed synthetic wheats from the International Maize
and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico with local
wheats, producing a hybrid now benefiting Chinese farmers.
Breeders in Sichuan province have been using the CIMMYT-developed
synthetic hexaploid wheat to improve quality, yield potential,
and disease resistance. CIMMYT said that after Chinese scientists
crossed and backcrossed this wheat with high-yielding local
varieties, several lines were developed, and they are currently
testing five more.
The synthetic
wheats pass on beneficial traits such as large kernels, heavy
spikes, and resistance to new races of Chinese stripe rust.
During two years of yield trials, the two varieties derived
from synthetic wheats had 20% to 35% higher yields than the
commercial check variety. One of these varieties, Chuanmai42,
had the highest average yields at more than six tons per hectare
in the trials. It is now recommended by the government to
farmers.
For
more information visit http://www.cimmyt.org/english/
wps/news/wild_wht.htm.
In related
developments, the International Institute of Tropic Agriculture
(IITA) based in Nigeria, Africa has acknowledged the work
of Dr. Nagib Nassaar of the Universidade de Brasilia for his
work in the genetic enhancement of cassava with wild Manihot
species which has benefited many organizations doing cassava
breeding, including IITA.
In a
letter to Nassar, Rodomiro Ortiz, direction research for development
of IITA, noted that Nassar provided “cassava germplasm
for identification of excellent breeding lines at IITA”
and that his breeding approaches showed “the benefits
of preserving biodiversity through the use of Manihot genetic
resources for enhancing cassava germplasm aimed at higher
yields and improved nutrient quality.”
Email
Nagib Nassar at nagnassa@rudah.com.br.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
CONFERENCE
ON MORAL IMPERATIVE OF BIOTECH
The
Pontifical Academy of Sciences, in cooperation with the US
Embassy to the Holy See, has organized a conference on the
Moral Imperative of Biotechnology, to be held on the 24th
of September, 2004, at the Pontifical Gregorian University
in Rome, Italy. Active in promoting solidarity and justice
between the industrialized and developing world, the academy
seeks to unite the public and private sectors in exploring
the potential of genetically modified organisms to address
hunger and malnutrition.
Sessions
will examine: the current state of the global food crisis;
the theological and moral case for biotech food; scientific
advances in biotech crops; how developing world farmers have
used biotech crops; and debunking the myths of biotechnology.
More
information on the Academy and its activities can be found
at http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_
academies/acdscien/ |
