In This
Issue:
INDIA
TO INVEST IN GM CROP RESEARCH
India’s
Business Standard reports that India will invest Rs 40 crore or
almost US $9 M to develop transgenic crop varieties. The Indian
Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will initially pioneer
research in 12 crops with focus on improving specific traits, such
as resistance to insect pests, fungal diseases and viral diseases;
tolerance to abiotic stresses like drought; and extension of product
shelf life.
Initial
crops include corn, pigeonpea, chickpea, soy bean, cotton, brassica,
tomato, brinjal, banana, papaya, potato and cassava. Indian scientists
are already working on transgenic varieties of cotton, rice, potato,
mustard, pigeonpea, chickpea, brinjal, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower,
tobacco, pulses, castor and groundnut.
Agriculture
Minister Rajnath Singh told the parliamentary consultative committee
attached to his ministry that biotechnology laboratories under
ICAR and state agricultural universities will be upgraded for the
project. He also added that a committee under agricultural scientist
M.S. Swaminathan was examining agricultural biotechnology issues.
Its report due next month is expected to guide future policy concerning
genetically modified organisms and harmonization of activities
of ministries concerned with the issue.
The
full article is available online at http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=22&story=30130
FFA SUPPORTS GM CROPS
Solleti
Jayapal Reddy, Secretary-cum-Treasurer, Federation of Farmers Associations
(FFA) in Andra Pradesh, stated during the recent “Farmer
to Farmer: Sharing Experiences Related to Agricultural Biotechnology” workshop
in Manila, Philippines, that the FFA strongly supports new technologies
that have the potential to alleviate the economic well being of
Indian farmers, and protect the environment. Solleti said that
67% of India’s population is still based on farming and other
rural activities.
The
FFA also opts for a re-focusing of research and development (R&D)
programs by all organizations (public and private) in India. Re-focusing
is suggested based on the following points:
- R&D
must keep the small farmer as its prime focal point.
- R&D
must be localized to ensure higher productivity, better quality
and greater adaptability to local environmental factors.
- R&D
must provide resistance to environmental factors such as salinity,
drought, and water logging.
Further,
Solleti presented the need for an international organization, similar
to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which could be
empowered to carry out multi-locational and long-term studies to
address biosafety issues worldwide. A universal license to trade
genetically modified (GM) products should also be established by
this future organization.
The
Federation of Farmers Associations, AP (FFA) is a state level apex
organization of various farmers federations in India. On the other
hand, the farmer workshop was co-organized by the International
Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, University
of the Philippines Los Banos, SEAMEO Regional Center for Graduate
Study and Research in Agriculture, Cornell University, and the
United States Government under the auspices of the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation. The Asian Farmers Regional Network or ASFARNET,
which aims to promote the active exchange of experiences and knowledge
on alternative modern farming technologies, was likewise formed
during the workshop.
For
more information on ASFARNET, email Dr. Randy Hautea, ISAAA Southeast
Asia Center director at r.hautea@isaaa.org.
ABE: ENVIRONMENTAL
BENEFITS FROM CROP BIOTECH
Crop
biotechnology offers real environmental advantages to growers compared
to conventional cropping systems. The use of currently available
GM crops by European farmers could help them to grow crops more
efficiently while providing sustainable options that can improve
farmland wildlife diversity. This is a conclusion of an issue paper
published by Agricultural Biotechnology in Europe (ABE), an association
of private sector agricultural companies, as it sought to study
scientific evidence gathered over several years about the environmental
aspect of crop biotechnology.
Other conclusions are:
- Appropriate
use of biotech seeds gives farmers additional opportunities to
favor biodiversity without yield loss from weed competition and
pest damage.
- Secondary
benefits such as reduced fuel usage arising from management of
genetically modified crops can also make a significant contribution
to lessening farming’s environmental impact.
- Crops
now in development may in the future give additional benefits
such as built in resistance to certain diseases.
The
full issue paper entitled “Environmental Benefits of Crop
Biotechnology for European Agriculture” is available in pdf
format from Siemen de Jong of Bayer Crop Science at siemen.dejong@bayercropscience.com.
More on ABE at http://abeurope.dynamicweb.dk.
UNU RELEASES
REPORT ON BIOSECURITY
Practical
measures to assist Central Asian countries and Mongolia are necessary
to develop their capacity to access genetic resources, share in
the benefits of technologies, and ensure biosafety. This is the
gist of the United Nations University’s Institute of Advanced
Studies’ report entitled “In Search of Biosecurity:
Capacity Development on Access to Genetic Resources, Benefit-Sharing,
and Biosafety in Central Asia and Mongolia.”
These
practical measures include:
- Development
of the Central Asian and Mongolian Biosafety and Bioresources
Network;
- Increase
in stakeholder participation in international negotiations;
- Increase
in knowledge base for greater and more readily accessible information
on policy making, and examples of best practices and protection
on traditional knowledge; and
- Increase
in international awareness about the situation in Central Asia
and Mongolia.
The
report was prepared based on country reports by Central Asian countries
and Mongolia as well as proceedings of the said workshop held in
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It is available online at http://www.ias.unu.edu/binaries/UNUIAS_CentralAsiaReport.pdf
FRANCE PROVIDES
INCENTIVE FOR COMPANIES
The French government recently adopted Jeunes Enterprises Innovantes (JEI),
a special incentive status for young innovative companies. Starting
2004, innovative companies will be exempt from tax and social contributions
for eight years. Adeline Farrelly of EuropaBio, the European associations
of bioindustries, says this incentive will make France a leading player
in attracting innovative companies.
France
Biotech - the national biotech association - was the first to propose
the initiative to the French government last year. Farrelly added
that biotechnology, one of the most research-intensive industries
in Europe,will greatly benefit from the JEI.
In the United Kingdom, the first major review of the biotech sector, a joint
government-industry initiative, has generated a comprehensive White Paper,
BioScience 2015. It aims to keep the UK biotech industry in a strategic position
in Europe. It also included a recommendation on tax incentives for young innovative
enterprises.
Additional information may be obtained from Adeline Farrelly at a.farrelly@europabio.org.
A copy of “What is the Young Innovative Company Status?” is available
at http://www.europabio.org/pages/ne_papers.asp?btype=7.
PARALUMAN: FARMERS
SHOULD NETWORK WITH SCIENTISTS
“We
need to improve our networking with our scientists, schools and
researchers to bring their knowledge and discoveries to every farmer
worldwide. Let us abandon the image of farmers as (being) poor,
ignorant and helpless. Instead we should be proud … for eventually
we are the ones who are feeding the world,” says Edwin Y.
Paraluman, Member, ASFARNET, and President, Nursery Farmers Irrigation
Association, General Santos City, Philippines.
Speaking
before fellow farmers in the recent “Farmer to Farmer: Sharing
Experiences Related to Agricultural Biotechnology” workshop
in Manila, Philippines, Paraluman discussed his experiences as
a corn farmer, and how he was able to do advocacy and networking
with scientists and universities. He also emphasized the importance
of modern communication facilities in the efficient transfer of
technology, and for increasing market linkages.
The
farmer workshop was co-organized by the International Service for
the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, University of the
Philippines Los Baños, SEAMEO Regional Center for Graduate
Study and Research in Agriculture, Cornell University, and the
United States Government under the auspices of the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation. The Asian Farmers Regional Network or ASFARNET,
which aims to promote the active exchange of experiences and knowledge
on alternative modern farming technologies, was formed during the
workshop.
For
more information on ASFARNET, email Dr. Randy Hautea, ISAAA Southeast
Asia Center director at r.hautea@isaaa.org.
APPROPRIATE
BIOTECHNOLOGIES FOR AFRICA
“Making
biotechnology work for African agriculture would mean harnessing
the technology to address the socio-economic and agronomic constraints
faced by African smallholders, rather than relying on technologies
developed for other contexts. However, there is still a growing
concern that the futuristic possibilities of genetic engineering
are diverting attention – and resources from other promising
technologies,” says Dominic Glover of the Institute of Development
Studies, University of Sussex in Brighton, United Kingdom.
He also
suggests that laboratory researchers and end-users be linked together
for the successful adoption of technologies. Linkages between these
two stakeholders have been previously applied to developing-country
biotechnology programs in the past. In Africa’s case, biotechnologies
that would be appropriate are those that are:
- Affordable
and would allow farmers to save and exchange seeds;
- Manageable
and appropriate for small plots of land in marginal areas;
- Responsive
to local livelihood contexts, including patterns of labor availability;
- Suitable
for use with a varied cropping system, including a number of
different crops;
- Focusing
on traits like drought tolerance, nutrient-use efficiency and
disease resistance, rather than traits like herbicide tolerance
which require expensive inputs;
- Suitable
and acceptably safe for introduction into the local ecosystem;
and
- Backed
up by appropriate support, such as access to credit, markers
and extension services.
Glover
added that some advocates of agricultural biotechnology say that
Africa should embrace the biotechnology revolution, particularly
genetically modified (GM) crops to improve their people’s
plight.
Dominic
Glover’s paper entitled “Biotechnology for Africa?” can
be downloaded at http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/env/PDFs/Briefing10.pdf.
GM STRAW COULD
INCREASE LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION
Jonathan
Gressel, Professor of Plant Sciences of the Weizmann Institute
of Science in Rehovot, Israel, and colleagues observed that straw
could increase animal production, by at least one third, if its
lignin content is decreased through genetic modification. This
process would make straw more digestible, and also increase the
carbohydrate available to ruminant animals.
Gressel
stated that if straw can be converted into hay-quality material
using a combination of biotechnology, physical and chemical treatments,
this roughage could be given more ecological and economic importance.
Ammonification, which separates lignin and serve as a nitrogen
source for ruminant bacteria, and biotreatment with ligninolytic
fungi are the technologies that can be used for upgrading.
This
technology, according to the researchers, could increase cattle,
goat, and sheep production by at least 25%. US and Europe could
produce another 200 million cattle per year (35% increase); Asia
250 million more cattle (50% increase); Africa 170 million more
goats per year, or 500 million goats if its current grain yields
were tripled to match the global average; and Australia could produce
30 million more sheep (25% increase).
For
more information, email Jonathan Gressel at Jonathan.Gressel@weizmann.ac.il. | 
