Biotech Updates

Global Biotech Information Network Welcomes Korea

March 11, 2011

On the 4th of March 2011, in a landmark event, The National Center for GM Crops (NCGC) of South Korea and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) signed a Letter of Agreement to establish forthwith a Biotechnology Information Center (BIC) which will become an important new node in ISAAA's Global Knowledge Network on biotech crops, comprising more than 25 BICs.

The South Korean BIC (KBIC), located at the National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA, in Suwon, under the leadership of Dr. Soo Chul Park, will facilitate the sharing of knowledge on all aspects of crop biotechnology, with all segments of society in South Korea and increase the awareness of the public about the attributes of the new science which can contribute to: higher crop productivity; a more sustainable agriculture, including lower levels of pesticides; mitigating the challenges associated with climate change by decreasing CO2 emissions; and help increase the income of small resource-poor farmers thereby contributing to the humanitarian goal of alleviating their poverty, consistent with the United Nations' Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of 2015 which aims to cut poverty and malnutrition by half.

In the photo, the letter of agreement to establish the KBIC is being signed by Dr.Soo-Chul Park, Director, The National Center for GM Crops (NCGC), National Academy of Agricultural Science, Rural Development Administration and Dr. Clive James, Founder and Chair of ISAAA. The signing ceremony was arranged during a visit by Dr. Clive James and Dr. Randy Hautea (ISAAA Global Coordinator, based at IRRI in the Philippines) to publicize the findings of the ISAAA 2010 Global Report on the status of biotech crops, in approximately 10 countries in Asia.

For more information, contact knowledge.center@isaaa.org.