Global

The Food and Agriculture Organization's governing body agreed to strengthen the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) so it can become the "international platform for discussion, coordination and policy convergence in order to eliminate world hunger."

The agreement which came about during the World Summit on Food Security held last week in Rome, Italy  makes the CFS a central component of the Global Partnership for Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition. Aside from the Member States of FAO and the United Nations, the CFS will now also include representatives of international organizations, nongovernment organizations, the private sector and civil society. An international network of experts will support the CFS to assure "scientific legitimacy of its deliberations and ensure that decisions are based on best available evidence."

See the FAO press release at: http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/37643/icode/

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Existing theories and strategies can be used to predict, monitor, and manage insect resistance to Bt crops. This was the conclusion of a study Field-Evolved Insect Resistance to Bt Crops: Definition, Theory, and Data published in the December 2009 issue of  the Entomological Society of America's Journal of Economic Entomology. 

The study analyzed insect resistance data from five continents, as reported in 41 studies. Dr. Bruce E. Tabashnik, lead author, says that "Resistance is not something to be afraid of, but something that we expect and can manage if we understand it. Dozens of studies monitoring how pests have responded to Bt crops have created a treasure trove of data showing that resistance has emerged in a few pest populations, but not in most others. By systematically analyzing the extensive data, we can learn what accelerates resistance and what delays it. With this knowledge, we can more effectively predict and thwart pest resistance."

Among the authors' conclusions are:

•  The refuge strategy (growing non-Bt crops near the Bt crops) can slow the evolution of insect resistance by increasing the chances of resistant insects mating with non-resistant ones, resulting in non-resistant offspring.
• Crops that are "pyramided" to incorporate two or more Bt toxins are more effective at controlling insect resistance when they are used independently from crops that contain only one Bt toxin.
• Resistance monitoring can be especially effective when insects collected from the field include survivors from Bt crops.
• DNA screening can complement traditional methods for monitoring resistance, such as exposing insects to toxins in the lab.
• Despite a few documented cases of field-evolved resistance to the Bt toxins in transgenic crops, most insect pest populations are still susceptible.

See the Entomological Society of America's press release at http://www.entsoc.org/resources/press_releases/2009_btcrops.htm

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Delegates to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization sponsored World Summit for Food Security passed a Declaration that would strengthen global food security. Strategic objectives were set to reverse the decline in domestic and international funding for agriculture, food security and rural development in developing countries, and the promotion of new investments to increase sustainable agriculture production and productivity.

There were five commitments and actions set, notable of which is principle number 3 which strive for a comprehensive twin-track approach to food security that consists of direct action to immediately tackle hunger and medium and long-term sustainable agricultural, food security, nutrition and rural development programs. One of the strategies to this end is the "mobilization of resources needed to increase productivity, including the review, approval and adoption of biotechnology and other new technologies and innovations that are safe, effective and environmentally sustainable," stated in paragraph 26 of the Declaration.

For details, see the story at: http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2009/11/26/un-eyes-next-steps-on-food-security-biotech-pleased-with-summit-mention/#more-7990 The full Declaration can be downloaded at: http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/wsfs/Summit/Docs/Final_Declaration/WSFS09_Declaration.pdf

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Africa

Jordan needs to speed up its efforts to maximize the benefits of biotechnology. "We should not remain afraid to try the technology in the midst of food insecurity. Regional cooperation is a must," said Dr. Rawashda, director general of the Jordanian Authority for Food and Medical Advice during his opening remarks at the 4th International Conference on Genetically Modified (GM) Food held in Amman, Jordan on November 16-17, 2009.

The conference served as a venue for participants from different Arab states to discuss the challenges of using GM food in the region. "Jordan is open to the safe use of any technology that will contribute to the betterment of life for its people such as biotech crops," added Dr. Rady Altarwana, director of the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture.

For more details about the conference email Dr. Ismail Abdel Hamid of the Egypt Biotechnology Information Center at ebicvision@yahoo.com or ismail@isaaa.org.

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After the second season of planting Bt cotton, farmers in Burkina Faso are expecting to harvest an average 1.3 to 1.5 tons per hectare, a significant gain compared to the 950 kg per hectare which was the average yield for conventional cotton. A harvest of 150,000 tons of Bt cotton is expected this year countrywide. This information was shared by farmers last November 8-13, 2009 during a "Seeing-is-believing tour" organized by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) AfriCenter for journalists, policy makers, regulators, farmers and technicians of the cotton sectors from Kenya, Mali and Burkina Faso.

The farmers also noted that compared to conventional cotton which requires on average 8 sprays, Bt cotton requires at most two sprays of pesticides. This is a relief for farmers and their families for the considerable reduction of labor involved in fetching water for the spray from long distances, and the strain involved in carrying the chemical. They associated considerable reduction in health issues, such as occasional colds, blisters and poisoning, to less pesticide use and exposure.

For more information contact Bridget Bitta of ISAAA AfriCenter at  b.bitta@cgiar.org

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The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) announced that they will join forces to increase food production and achieve food security in Africa. The partnership will link African government commitments to agricultural development with concrete programs in seeds, soil health, policy, and markets, the African development organizations said in a press release.

Based on the Memorandum of Understanding, the organizations will work directly with national governments and partners across the agricultural value chain in a comprehensive effort to increase the productivity of smallholder farmers growing Africa's staple food crops. "This partnership will enable African countries to close the gap between intention and action on behalf of smallholder farmers," said Kofi Annan, Chairman of AGRA.

The new partners will work together through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP), which aims to boost African food security through greater investments in agriculture. Since the Program's establishment in 2003, more than 10 countries have signed the CAADP commitment of allotting at least 10 percent of their allocations towards agriculture. These countries include Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Mali, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Nigeria.

For more information, read http://www.agra-alliance.org/content/news/detail/1062

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Americas

After safety evaluations by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canada has authorized the unconfined release into the environment and use as livestock feed of Pioneer Hi-Bred's genetically modified corn (98140) and soybean (356043) events. The transgenic corn and soybean express the gat (gat4621 for corn and gat4601 for soybean) and the zm-hra genes which confer resistance to glyphosate and ALS-inhibiting herbicides.

CFIA in its evaluation concluded that the GM crops "do not present altered environmental risk" and that they "don't "present livestock feed safety concerns when compared to currently commercialized soybean varieties in Canada." Any soybean or corn lines derived from the approved events may also be released into the environment and used as livestock feed, the CFIA says, provided that the intended use are similar, that the novel genes are expressed at a level similar to that of the authorized line and that no inter-specific crosses are performed.

For more information on the approvals, read http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/bio/dd/dd0977e.shtml#a3 and http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/bio/dd/dd0978e.shtml#a3

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Stakeholders in Peru reviewed the communication and public perception on biosafety plan  prepared by the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Biosafety Project  during the Workshop on Validation of the National Communications and Public Awareness Strategy and Plan of LAC-Biosafety Project, Peru held at the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina (UNALM), Lima, Peru last November 17, 2009.  This activity is part of the efforts to institutionalize a system to inform and educate stakeholders and the media, and through them to the general public.

The LAC  Biosafety Project aims to strengthen technical capabilities in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Peru by increasing its institutional effectiveness in the generation of scientific knowledge for making decisions, and by increasing its communication and public perception capacities for compliance with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

According to Dr. William Roca, LAC -Biosafety Project regional coordinator, the project is being coordinated at the regional level by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, and at the national level in Peru by the Institute of Biotechnology of UNALM, with the collaboration of the International Potato Center and the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation of Peru.

For additional information on the communication plan for Peru, email Dr. Javier Verastegui at verastegui.javier@gmail.com

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Energy-rich oil or bio-oil from corn stover may be more cost-effective, energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable to use rather than converting the product to cellulosic ethanol. Stover is made up of the leaves, husks, cobs and stalks of the corn plant. Scientists from the Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture note that it could provide an abundant source of feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production after the grain is harvested. But removing stover from the field, says scientists, "would leave soil more vulnerable to erosion, deplete plant nutrients and accelerate the loss of soil organic matter."

An ARS press release said that the research team used fast pyrolysis, which is rapid heating in the absence of oxygen, to transform corn stover and cobs into bio-oil and bio-char. They found that the bio-oil captured 70 percent of the total energy input, and the energy density of the bio-oil was five to 16 times the energy density of the feedstock. It would thus be more cost-effective to produce bio-oil through a network of pyrolyzers instead of transporting the stover to a centralized cellulosic ethanol plant.

Read the full article at http://www.ars.usda.gov/news

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Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) are studying how global climate change could affect crop production and possibly prompt the evolution of more resilient weeds. Specifically, the scientists are looking as to how rising temperatures and rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels could change production dynamics and crop yields.

Lewis Ziska and colleagues found that the growth of the genetically modified, glyphosate-resistant soybeans is promoted by high CO2 levels. Elevated CO2 levels also stimulate the growth of weeds that are typically kept in check by the herbicide glyphosate. Corn plant growth, on the other hand, was found to be suppressed by warmer temperatures resulting from high CO2 levels. Other work by the scientists shows that cheatgrass and Canada thistle--which are both aggressive and invasive weeds, flourish when CO2 levels rise, and that some varieties of dandelions have the genetic ability to adapt rapidly to rising CO2 levels. The researchers concluded that the variability in dandelions and other weeds might provide genetic material that could be used to breed high-yielding, climate proof plants.

 Read the original story at http://www.ars.usda.gov/IS/pr/2009/091110.htm

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Asia and the Pacific

The Government of Pakistan has officially approved genetically modified crops for cultivation in the country. Pakistan's Ministry of Environment, Environment Protection Agency and National Biosafety Committee in a meeting cleared two Bt cotton varieties for commercial release. The Bt cotton varieties, CEMB-1 and CEMB-2, were developed by scientists at the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB) of the Punjab University. These varieties were recommended by Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) after more than two years of testing.

The Daily Times in an article cited an undisclosed source as saying that a total of 10 Bt cotton varieties including the approved two varieties might be commercialized in the country. The article also noted that currently, more than 44 genetically modified cotton varieties are being cultivated in the country without government approval. The Bt cotton varieties, awaiting approval from the Punjab Seed Council, will be available for the next cultivation season (Kharif 2010).

The Daily Times article is available at http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C11%5C26%5Cstory_26-11-2009_pg5_10 . For more information on biotechnology developments in Pakistan, contact Dr. Iqbal Choudhary iqbal.choudhary@iccs.edu of the Pakistan Biotech Information Center.

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Origin Agritech Limited, a biotech company based in Beijing, has received the Biosafety Certificate from the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture as a final approval for commercial approval of the world's first genetically modified phytase corn. The transgenic corn is the product of a seven-year study by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Phytase is used as an additive in animal feed to degrade phytic acid, the storage form of phosphorus. Phytase can increase phosphorus absorption in animals by as much as 60 percent. With the transgenic crop, there is no need to purchase phytase and corn separately. The use of phytase corn should also reduce phosphate pollution caused by animal waste and excessive fertilizer use. Phytase, as an additive for animal feed, is mandatory in Europe, Southeast Asia, South Korea, Japan, and other regions for environmental purposes.

"With this landmark seed approval, we are not only own the first GM corn seed product in China, but we are actively leading the new genetically modified generation of agricultural products for China, and will continue to do so for the future," said Gengchen Han, Origin's Chairman. Genetically modified seed products in China must undergo five separate stages of approval beginning with a phase one laboratory approval to the final receipt of the Biosafety Certificate in phase five. Currently, this GM seed approval process is restricted only to domestic seed producers such as Origin Agritech.

For more information, visit http://www.originagritech.com/news/news.php

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Replying to a question "Introduction of Bt brinjal" in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) and Lok Sabha (Lower House) of the Parliament of India on 23 and 25 Nov 2009, Minister of State for Environment and Forests (Independent charge) Mr. Jairam Ramesh stated that "Bt brinjal event EE-1 has been developed in compliance with the prevailing regulatory procedures and biosafety guidelines which conform to the international norms. In accordance with the prescribed terms of reference, the Expert Committee reviewed the findings of the data generated during large scale trials, biosafety data of Bt brinjal provided by the developer, studies conducted by various institutions, published literature, reports from international/national groups and representatives from NGOs, farmers, consumers and other stakeholders."

Minister Ramesh informed the Rajya Sabha that "the environmental safety assessment studies have been carried out on pollen escape out- crossing, aggressiveness and weediness, effect of the gene on non-target organisms, presence of the protein in soil and its effect on soil micro-flora, confirmation of the absence of Terminator Gene and baseline susceptibility studies. The food and feed safety assessment studies carried out include composition analysis, allergenicity and toxicological studies, and feeding studies on fish, chicken, cows and buffaloes. The cumulative results of more than 50 field trials conducted to assess the safety, efficacy and agronomic performance of Bt brinjal demonstrate that Cry1Ac protein in Bt brinjal provides effective protection from the Fruit and Shoot Borer, a major pest in brinjal crop; resulting in enhanced economic benefits to the farmers and traders accrued from higher marketable yield and lower usage of pesticide sprays."

In the 97^th meeting held on 14^th Oct 2009, India's biotech regulator the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) discussed the Report of the Expert Committee (EC-II) on Bt brinjal event EE-I and concluded that it is safe for environmental release. Since this decision of the GEAC will have major policy implications, the GEAC decided to forward the recommendations and report of the Expert Committee on the safety and efficacy of Bt brinjal event EE-I to the Government of India for a final view. The Ministry of Environment and Forest will take a final decision of the commercial release of Bt brinal EE-I after holding a number of public consultations in Jan and Feb 2010.

The Q&A "Introduction of Bt Brinjal", the Rajya Sabha (Upper house) of the Parliament of India is available at: http://164.100.47.4/newrsquestion/ShowQn.aspx and the press release from the Press Information Bureau (PIB) is available at: http://www.pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=54401

The Press Information Bureau press release "Extensive Evaluation and Regulatory Approval Process before Approval for Commercial Cultivation of GM Plant" based on the Q&A in the Lok Sabha of the Parliament of India is available at: http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=54567

Decision of the 97th Meeting of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) held on 14 Oct 2009 is available at: http://www.envfor.nic.in/divisions/csurv/geac/decision-oct-97.pdf

For more information about biotech development in India contact: b.choudhary@cgiar.org and k.gaur@cgiar.org

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Australia's Office of Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) has cleared Dow's genetically modified, WideStrike cotton for commercial release in the country. The cotton expresses the Cry1F and Cry1Ac genes for resistance to insect pests. The license issued by OGTR permits growing of the GM cotton in all current cotton growing areas in South Australia and the use of cotton seed in animal feed Australia-wide, including northern Australia where measures to limit the potential spread and persistence of the GMOs have been imposed.

The decision to issue the approval was made after extensive consultation on the Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plan (RARMP) with the public, State and Territory governments, government agencies and local councils, says the OGTR. The RARMP concludes that the commercial cultivation of WideStrike cotton "poses negligible risks to the health and safety of people, and negligible to low risks to the environment as a result of gene technology."

For more information, visit http://www.ogtr.gov.au/internet/ogtr/publishing.nsf/Content/dir091

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India's Union Minister of Agriculture Sharad Pawar agreed to support the setting up of a Norman Borlaug Institute for South Asia in collaboration with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) in India. Dr. Thomas Lumpkin, Director General of CIMMYT proposed the idea to set up an institute in memory of Dr. Norman E. Borlaug during the inaugural session of the International seminar on "Meeting Challenges of Global Wheat Production: A Tribute to Dr. Norman E. Borlaug" organized by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) from 21 to 22 Nov 2009 at New Delhi. Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, Father of India's Green Revolution along with Agricultural Ministers of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal fondly remembered Dr.  Borlaug who helped India achieve self sufficiency in key staples like wheat and rice in the1960s-70s at a time when India was critically suffering from food deficit and largely dependent on food import to feed a burgeoning population.

Minister Pawar recalled his four decades long association and paid his tribute to Dr. Borlaug, who helped alleviate hunger and poverty through the development and dissemination of input-responsive semi-dwarf wheat varieties in wheat growing countries. India owes a lot to his unprecedented and innovative contributions, said the Minister. He also announced that India has instituted a National Professorial Chair in Biotechnology for Crop Improvement, which is equivalent to Vice Chancellor of Agricultural University, at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. In addition, India has named important wheat varieties after Dr. Borlaug.

For more information about the International wheat seminar visit http://www.iari.res.in or http://www.icar.org.in For information about biotech development in India contact  b.choudhary@cgiar.org and k.gaur@cgiar.rog

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The Philippine Court of Appeals (CA) in a 21 page decision by Associate Justice Vicente Veloso has recently granted the consolidated petitions filed by the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and Bayer, which sought to nullify the decision made by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) banning BPI from granting Bayer's application to use LLRice 62 in the country. In September 18, 2007, the RTC granted Greenpeace Philippines an injunction to the use of LL62 in the country because it will result to increase use of toxic herbicides, putting farmers and consumers at risk.

The CA pointed out that "Von Hernandez and the rest of the Greenpeace failed to establish a clear and positive right to entitle them to the issuance of a writ of injunction since there is no proof that "there is hardly any doubt" that Bayer's application will be approved by BPI. The Court also stressed that "the alleged dangers of LLRice 62 to the people and the environment would have to be further examined and verified by proper agencies since ‘the courts do not have the competence or expertise' on matters such as genetically-modified rice". In addition, the Court "did not give credence to Greenpeace's claim that their right of information has been violated due to BPI's refusal to provide them information about Bayer's application". All the information were freely shared by the agency,

See the stories at: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/11/22/09/ca-reverses-rtc-decision-gmo-rice-case and at: http://www.malaya.com.ph/11232009/news4.html

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Niu Dun, Chinese vice minister of agriculture, met with Dr. Joachim Schneider, chairman of Bayer Bioscience, on November 23, 2009 to exchange views on China's agricultural development and matters of bilateral cooperation. "The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture attaching importance to the cooperation with multinational corporations is willing to collaborate with Bayer Corporation on advanced technologies research in accordance with the principle of mutual benefit and win-win," said Niu. He also recommended the following efforts:  develop human resources to enhance research capacity and level of agricultural infrastructure;  strengthen cooperation in research and development of new agricultural science and technology to achieve sustained agricultural innovation of S and T; promote new agricultural technology to improve the contribution rate of agricultural technology in agricultural efficiency and increase in farmers income.

Dr. Schneider pointed out that Bayer is willing to continuously carry out multi-faceted and multi-form cooperation with China in biotechnology research and development and in the breeding of new crop varieties.

View the press release at http://www.agri.gov.cn/xxlb/t20091124_1387865.htm

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A US$300 million fund-raising campaign organized by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) was launched in Singapore to support rice research. "Rice is fundamental not just to Asian economies but also to Asian culture, said IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler. The five-year campaign has already raised $59 million, with over $50 million provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Personal donations of $1,000 to larger gifts from companied have been coming in.

"There is no doubt that rice research can help," Dr. Zeigler said. "For more than four decades, rice production has steadily increased in Asia, pushed ahead by new varieties developed through research that has helped ensure enough rice for all Asians. We have the knowledge. What we need more than anything is to make the necessary investments, especially with the looming threat of climate change."

To support the campaign, IRRI has established the IRRI Fund in Singapore as an international charitable organization which will also be active in Hong Kong. "We want to reach out to all Asians and ask for their support as rice research touches the lives of all rice consumers," Dr. Zeigler added. "After all, in Asia, rice is life."

See the IRRI press release at
http://beta.irri.org/news/index.php/press-releases/us$300-million-fund-raising-campaign-launched-for-rice-food-security-in-asia.html

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Europe

As requested by French Ministries of Environment, Agriculture, and Consumer Affairs, the country's High Biotech Council (HBC) has released a document defining "GMO-free" production. HBC, composed of a scientific and a socio-economic committee, is in charge of advising the French Government on a wide range of biotech issues.

The HBC detailed biotech-free conditions for three categories of products:

• For plant products, the HBC recommended that a "GMO-free" label be attributed to products containing less than 0.1 percent transgenic DNA.
• For animal products, the HBC recommended that the label "fed on GMO-free feed" or "derived from animals fed without GM feed" be reserved to products derived from animals fed on feed containing less than 0.1 percent transgenic DNA.
• For apiculture products, the HCB recommended that "biotech-free" label be based on a minimum distance between the apiary and fields of biotech crops, to be set by public authorities.

A report by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service notes that the French Ministries of Ecology, Agriculture, and Economy are preparing a decree to be published in the Official Journal regulating "GMO-free" labeling. The report says that the decree is expected to be finalized in the second half of 2010. French authorities previously required a 0.01 percent threshold, making labeling non feasible.

Download a copy of the document at http://ogm.gouv.fr/Recommandation_CEES_sansOGM.pdf A summary of the USDA FAS report is available at http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=11790&id_region=&id_category=1&id_crop=

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A commissioned work on Exploring Attitudes to GM Food by the Food Standards Agency was recently published. The study was carried out by the National Centre for Social Research which complements a series of questions on food technologies including GM foods in the British Social Attitudes Survey 2008 (BSA). The report explored why people hold particular views on GM food, how people's attitudes to GM food are formed, how people weigh up the risks and benefits associated with GM food, and the circumstances in which people change their views. Results of the study showed that there are different levels of understanding about GM food. Attitudes to GM food are complex and the risks and benefits of GM food are weighed up differently depending on the factors that underpin views.

See this story at: http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/gmreportnov09finalreport.pdf. The full report can be downloaded at: http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2009/nov/gmreport.

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