Biotech Updates

IAASTD Report to Set Global Food Agenda

April 11, 2008

An inter-governmental report that will set the new agenda for global food production is expected to be released on April 15, 2008. The International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology (IAASTD) seeks to bring together Northern and Southern perspectives to drive the agricultural agenda for the next 50 years. A plenary meeting is currently underway in Johannesburg, South Africa.

IAASTD says the report will incorporate a global assessment as well as five sub-global assessments. It acknowledges that the challenges in Africa are not identical to the challenges in Asia or Latin America. By taking a 'bottom-up' approach, the report aims to take into consideration the concerns of those most threatened in terms of food security and livelihood. The IAASTD is a three year collaborative international effort that is evaluating the relevance, quality and effectiveness of agricultural knowledge, science, and technology.

Visit http://www.agassessment.org/index.cfm?Page=About_IAASTD&ItemID=2 for more information.