Global

Policy makers, rural development practitioners, producers, civil society and the agricultural and scientific community will converge in Copenhagen on December 12, 2009 to  discuss "The road after Copenhagen: priority strategies and actions for ensuring food security and rural development in the face of climate change". The event will highlight the importance of agriculture in climate change and to identify priorities for global agriculture and food security. A workplan with strategies and actions to fully incorporate agriculture into the post-Copenhagen agenda will be developed.

Agriculture and Rural Development Day is being sponsored by a large consortium of organizations, which includes the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the Alliance of the CGIAR Centers and the CCAFS Challenge Program.

The Agriculture and Rural Development Day coincides with the United Nations Climate Negotiations (UNFCCC COP-15).   A series of events from December 7-18, 2009 will be held during the UNFCCC COP-15. According to the CGIAR, they, along with key partners "will make the case that, while agriculture is part of the problem – contributing about 14 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions and accounting for most of the 19 percent contributed by deforestation – it must also be part of the solution."

Visit http://www.agricultureday.org/ for additional details of the event. Read the CGIAR press release at http://www.cgiar.org/monthlystory/december2009.html

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Bananas are withstanding the impact of the global financial crisis more than other agricultural commodities, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a new report. The report predicts that developing countries will continue to register an increase in demand for the fruit, with imports seen to rise 2.5 percent to 2.33 million tons in 2009, driven largely by China. FAO also said that if the recession bottoms out by the end of this year, then the demand for bananas will increase by up to 8 percent next year.

FAO, however, is calling for more resources to go towards creating a global map of banana and plantain diseases. FAO noted that banana diseases could cost growers, particularly small-scale farmers, some USD 4 billion in 2010. Banana Bunchy Top Disease and Banana Bacterial Wilt threaten the food security of 70 million people in 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa who depend on bananas for their livelihood and food supply. "[The diseases] merit far greater investment in public awareness, basic and applied research and farmer training and production services to growers," said FAO in the report.

For more information, read http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/38013/icode/

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Global food prices are on the rise again, with the FAO Food Price Index registering four straight monthly rises and hitting more than a year high in November, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in its latest Food Outlook report. The UN organization however noted that the current market conditions are different from those that triggered the food price crisis that started two years ago.

FAO noted that the Price Index, which measures monthly price changes for a food basket composed of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar, averaged 168 points in November, the highest since September 2008. The index never exceeded 120 points and, for most of the time, was below 100 points during the 2007/08 food crisis.

"At the onset of the price surge in 2007, FAO identified a number of possible causes contributing to the price rise: low levels of world cereal stocks; crop failures in major exporting countries; rapidly growing demand for agricultural commodities for biofuels and rising oil prices," the FAO report said.

For more information, read http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/38040/icode/ The report is available at http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/ak341e/ak341e00.htm

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Bayer CropScience and the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) announced that they will work together "to strengthen rice productivity through improved utilization of rice genetic diversity for crop improvement, disease management in rice, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and capacity building for young rice scientists." Bayer and IRRI signed an agreement to establish a Scientific Know-how and Exchange Program (SKEP), which includes four joint activities.

First, the Germany-based crop science company will join an international effort that aims to develop an in-depth dataset of rice genome information for more than 2,000 different rice varieties and wild species. In addition, IRRI and Bayer will work together to develop tools to rapidly detect the dreaded bacterial blight disease of rice. The collaboration also includes the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions in rice fields following a switch from transplanted rice to direct-seeded and water-saving irrigation.

Bayer, early last year, joined the Hybrid Rice Development Consortium (HRDC), an IRRI-led partnership program between the public and private sector to develop and share hybrid rice technologies.

"This agreement will build on IRRI's capacity to deliver rice science solutions that help rice farmers increase their yields in an environmentally sustainable way and in so doing help lift farmers and consumers out of poverty", said IRRI Deputy Director General for Research Dr. Achim Dobermann.

Read the original story at http://www.bayercropscience.com/bcsweb/cropprotection.nsf/id/EN_20091204?open&l=EN&ccm=500020

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Africa

Africa faces several constraints in harnessing the benefits of biotechnology - these include lack of adequate funds, loss of trained technical expertise, slow development of the biotechnology sector, inadequate intellectual property rights infrastructure, and government not taking a more active role in promoting the technology. Diran Makinde, director of the West African Biosciences Network (WABNet), Senegal, and colleagues forward these thoughts in Status of Biotechnology in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities published in the Biotechnology in Africa issue of the Asian Biotechnology and Development Review.

"Agricultural biotechnology alone will not solve the multitude of problems that farmers in Africa face; however, it has the potential to make crop breeding and crop management systems more efficient thereby generating improved crop varieties and higher yields," the authors wrote. To develop biotechnology in Africa they suggest the following: more coordination between strategic policy making in sustainable agriculture and agricultural research; political will and commitment to use the tools of biotechnology; regulatory frameworks that will work; and enhancement of public understanding and acceptance of products.

Emial Diran Makinde's at diran.makinde@nepadbiosafety.net for additional information.

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Biotechnology has been identified as one of the technologies that must be used for the  "rapid development" of  agriculture in Ghana. Marian Quain  and James Asibuo of the Crops Research Institute in Ghana, sub-Saharan Africa, discuss Ghana's initial foray into biotechnology and the challenges that the country is facing in Biotechnology for Agriculture Enhancement in Ghana published in the Biotechnology in Africa edition of Asian Biotechnology and Development Revew.

"One underexploited area in biotechnology in Ghana is the use of in vitro methods for the production of clean planting materials which are in high demand," the authors said. "This system needs the assistance of molecular tools to ensure that the clonal materials that is produced maintain their genetic integrity with the application of fingerprinting techniques."

The CRI scientists note the challenges of fund availability for the rapid development and adaptation of biotechnology tools; policy development, government contribution to science and technology, as well as regional collaboration to aid and promote the technology.

Marian Quain can be reached at marianquain@hotmail.com

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Americas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said that it will deregulate Pioneer Hi-Bred's genetically modified corn event 98140 after "a thorough review of scientific information, public comments, and an environmental assessment." The GM corn, resistant to glyphosate and acetolactate synthase-inhibiting herbicides, can now be freely moved and planted without the requirement of permits or other regulatory oversight by APHIS.

APHIS said that scientific evidence indicates that any environmental, human health or food safety concerns associated with the GM corn line are "unlikely to occur."

Relevant documents are available at http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#docketDetail?R=APHIS-2008-0094

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Several farm and trade groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Corn Growers Association and the American Seed Trade Association, have filed a joint friend-of-the-court brief to the US Supreme Court in support of a petition seeking review of case related to biotech alfalfa. "Lower courts failed to adequately consider the mountains of evidence that prove biotech alfalfa is safe, and thus those courts abandoned a well-established legal principle when they banned the planting of the crop," according to the brief. "If the courts do not respect those established legal standards, the ability to bring future innovations, especially biotech crops, to the marketplace is in real jeopardy." The brief further noted that the ruling "could begin a wave of anti-biotechnology injunctions."

Visit http://www.fb.org/index.php?fuseaction=newsroom.newsfocus&year=2009&file=nr1208.html for the original story.

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Ascochyta blight, caused by the fungus Ascochyta rabiei, is one of the most devastating diseases of chickpea. The fungus attacks all above-ground parts of the host. During the winter, A. rabiei survives on chickpea stubble and forms sexual spores, called ascospores, which can infect plantings of the crop in the spring. Symptoms include necrotic spots in leaves, leading to severe defoliation, stems and pods. Severe outbreaks, fueled by cool, wet conditions, can wipe out the entire crop.

Now researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have identified another fungus that could be used to control A. rabiei. Frank Dugan and colleagues isolated Aureobasidium pullulans strains that inhibit A. rabiei's ability to form or release ascospores, thereby curbing its infection of chickpea seedlings. ARS noted that although there exist other ways to control the blight, such as treating chickpea seeds with fungicides, planting resistant varieties, plowing crop fields before planting time, and rotating chickpeas with non-host crops, biocontrol is worth exploring for its potential to provide chickpea growers with greater flexibility in how they manage the disease.

Field trials showed that treating chickpea stubbles with A. pullulans spores reduced Ascochyta blight by 38 percent. The ARS scientists expect that this can be improved using adjuvants and other standard ingredients often used in biocontrol formulations.

Read the original story at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2009/091204.htm

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Canada's Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz asured China that it will increase canola oil imports by an additional 200,000 tonnes for a total of 350,000 tonnes in 2010. The Canola Council of Canada estimates these increased sales will be worth $180 million. This assurance was forwarded during a meeting with Bao Kexin, the CEO and President of Sinograin, China's state-owned organization responsible for national reserves of grains and edible oil.

Minister Ritz said that Canadian farmers have the capacity to produce a consistent supply of canola and new canola crushing plants allow the increase in the volume of canola oil available for export.

For the press release from Canada's Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada see http://www.agr.gc.ca/cb/index_e.php?s1=n&s2=2009&page=n91205

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BASF Plant Science and Monsanto announced that they will work together to develop and commercialize new corn hybrids with better nutrition for animal feed. The new hybrids will contain BASF's NutriDense traits that are designed to enhance animal feed performance. NutriDense corn has higher levels of essential amino acids and energy, greater phosphorous availability and is more digestible. The NutriDense traits will be combined with Monsanto's Roundup Ready, VT Triple PRO and SmartStax corn traits for herbicide tolerance and insect resistance.

Read the press release at http://monsanto.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43

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Asia and the Pacific

India's Union Minister of Science & Technology Prithviraj Chavan describes Bt brinjal a safe breakthrough in an exclusive interview in the latest issue of BiotechNews, an official news portal of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt of India. Speaking to the Biotech News, a bimonthly magazine of DBT, he says "I am sure that development of Bt brinjal, the first biotech vegetable crop, is appropriate and timely. I understand that it has been tested rigorously over the last nine years and has been found substantially equivalent to its non-Bt counterparts, except for an additional gene-cry1Ac which expresses Cry protein effective only against a very specific target insect, in this case Fruit and Shoot Borer (FSB). GEAC has evaluated Bt brinjal for its efficacy and safety as per the protocols and procedures prescribed under the Ministry of Environment and Forest's Environment Protection Act 1986 and Rules 1989 as well as DBT's own biosafety norms".

Addressing the concerns raised over the biosafety studies conducted for Bt brinjal, the Minister says "GEAC (MoEF) and Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) of DBT have jointly developed protocols for each test, closely monitored progress and ensured compliance during the testing of Bt brinjal. Bt brinjal has been tested extensively at various public sector institutions and nationally accredited laboratories with very good GLP track records in collaboration with Mahyco".  Bt brinjal, the first biotech vegetable crop which is grown by 1.4 million small and marginal farmers on 550,000 hectare in India, is declared safe for environmental release and recommended for commercial approval to the Ministry of Environment and Forest in mid Oct 2009. Highlighting the rigorous testing that has preceded the GEAC nod to Bt brinjal Mr. Chavan says "All these studies have concluded that Bt brinjal causes no adverse effects when consumed by humans, animals, non-target organisms and beneficial insects. In fact, Bt protein was not even detectable in cooked brinjal fruit".

Expressing his views on labelling regime for GM foods in India the Minister adds "It is advisable to adhere to labelling regime that is based on the nutritional composition of product and not on the process used to develop the product as long as the product has been determined as safe". Finally, lauding the role of Bt technology in agriculture, he says "The main advantage of this technology is that it reduces the use of chemical pest control making the technology safe for the environment as well as human consumption".

A full issue of Dec 2009 DBT's BiotechNews titled "Bt brinjal: A Pioneering Push" is available on BiotechNews online portal at http://biotechnews.in/index.html For more information about biotech development in India  contact: b.choudhary@cgiar.org and k.gaur@cgiar.org

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The National Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms(GMOs) Security Assessment and Testing Center, the major state-level high-tech construction project of the Ministry of Agriculture's(MOA) Development Center of Science and Technology, and approved by the National Development and Reform Commission, was officially launched on October 29, 2009 in Beijing, China. It is planned to be ready for use in December, 2012. This project will implement the "Agricultural GMOs Safety Management Regulations", enhance the capacity to support the security management technique, and ensure the development of the biotechnology industry.

The Center will consist of a testing center and a pilot plant, both of which will be located in Beijing. It will mainly focus on safety assessment of agricultural GMOs, popularization of agricultural GMOs safety management, public communication and technical standards, standardized management, inspection, identification and monitoring of agricultural GMOs product ingredients, and international cooperation. The Center will provide technical support and consulting services on agricultural GMOs safety regulations. 

For more information, email  Prof. Zhang Hongxiang at zhanghx@mail.las.ac.cn or Dr. Yue Tongqing at yuetq@mail.las.ac.cn.

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India's climate change expert Dr. P.K. Aggarwal, Indian Council for Agricultural Research professor at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, was awarded the Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize by the Italy- based Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS), the world's foremost international Academy for scientists from the developing world. Prof. Aggarwal shared the prize with Carlos Clemente Cerri from Brazil for the pioneering work on the intricate relationship between agriculture, climate and the environment.

The two eminent scientists were honored at the opening ceremony of the TWAS 11th General Conference, in Durban, on October 20, 2009 and shared a USD100,000 award funded by the Ernesto Illy Foundation. Professor Aggarwal is one of India's leading climate change experts and has developed a broad range of innovative strategies to examine the potential impact of global warming on agriculture, especially in India. The award recognizes his scientific leadership and contribution to enhance the understanding of the vulnerability of agriculture in the developing countries to climate change.

The Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize, instituted by TWAS and Illycaffè and supported by the Ernesto Illy Foundation, is designed to bring recognition and distinction to the developing world's most eminent scientists who have not yet been honored by other international award schemes.

For more details visit http://twas.ictp.it/news/press-releases/ernesto-illy-trieste-science-prize-winners-2009 and http://www.icar.org.in/?q=node/736

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Recent advances in genomics research and plant biotechnology provide opportunities to facilitate the development of new sorghum cultivars and hybrids for high productivity of biomass with desirable cellulose. Yinghua Huang of the United States Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service says that cellulosic biomass is becoming an attractive energy feedstock as the supplies are more abundant, and sorghum, in particular shows great potential due to its "high water-use efficiency, high biomass productivity under sustainable low-input conditions, and amenable to manipulation of its cell-well characteristics."

In a paper Molecular breeding of sorghum for use as a sustainable biofuel feedstock Yinghua sees the potential of genomic and biotechnological tools to enhance biomass productivity and manipulate cell wall structure and composition leading to an improved biomass quality. Furthermore, fundamental knowledge learned from sorghum (as a model) can rapidly be applied to other fuelstock candidates such as Miscanthus and switchgrass for their genetic improvement.

E-mail Yinghua Huang at yinghua.huang@ars.usda.gov or view the highlights of the paper at http://www.safetybio.agri.kps.ku.ac.th/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6766&Itemid=47

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Monsanto Company and Dow AgroSciences announced that they have received full regulatory approval for importation of products produced from the genetically modified SmartStax corn in Taiwan and Korea. SmartStax combines eight different insect protection and herbicide tolerance genes. It has previously received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and regulatory authorization from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Korea and Taiwan are significant importers of U.S. and Canadian corn. Grain produced from SmartStax corn can also be imported to Japan, Australia, and New Zealand among other countries.

SmartStax is the product of a cross-licensing agreement and research and development collaboration signed in 2007 between Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences. The companies plan to launch the GM corn on 4 million-plus acres next year.

View the press release at http://monsanto.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=777

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Major breakthroughs in biotechnology are making possible a new industrial revolution. New bio-pharmaceutical products are being developed, GM crops are substantially increasing, and a number of high-tech industry clusters such as bio-manufacturing, bio-energy and bio-environmental protection are flourishing. Hence, global biotechnology industry sales are almost double every five years, the growth rate of which is nearly 10 times the world's average economic growth rate, said Dr. Yang Shengli, president of the Chinese Society of Biotechnology (CSBT) during the press conference to announce the Fourth China Bioindustry Convention to be held on June 18-20, 2010 in Jinan, Shandong Province, China. Over 60 media practitioners attended the press conference.

Dr. Yang, also the chairman of the organizing committee, said  the convention aims to seize the opportunities brought about by biotechnology to contribute to the development of China's bioindustries. Official leaders from the National Development and Reform Commission, China Science and Technology Association, and Chinese Academy of Sciences attended the press conference. The convention with the theme "Bio-economic Environment Innovation and Development of Strategic New-emerging Industries"  will consist of a summit meeting, special seminars, media workshop, bio-business investment exhibition, and science popularization activities. 

The convention, is organized by CSBT and 16 other national institutes and/or associations. Reporters from the media in China such as the China Central Television (CCTV) and Xinhua News Agency attended the press conference held on December 8, 2009 in Beijing.

For more information, contact Prof. Zhang Hongxiang at zhanghx@mail.las.ac.cn or Dr. Yue Tongqing at yuetq@mail.las.ac.cn

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The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Inspur Group, supplier of computing platforms and IT solutions in China, announced that they have started a joint project to develop a third-generation genome sequencing instrument which they said will slash the cost of genome sequencing by 99 percent. In a press release Yu Jun, deputy head of the Beijing Institute of Genomics with the CAS, said that the instrument is expected to sequence a person's genomes in an hour at a cost of about 1,000 USD.

Visit http://english.cas.cn/Ne/CASE/200912/t20091207_48154.shtml for more information.

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Bangladeshi Minister for Agriculture Begum Matia Choudhary stressed on the benefits of genetically modified crops at the 24th Foundation Day of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) on December 8, 2009. She said that research and development activities on GM will continue in full swing to get products to enhance crop production and alleviate chronic food crisis in Bangladesh. If GM crops are found superior in any aspect of crop cultivation, it will be released and made available to farmers, she said.

The Agricultural Minister reminded the audience that despite opposition to the technology, "we have been introducing hybrid crops since 1996 which are now benefiting our farmers. Similarly, government will not be conservative in the use of GM crops whatever resistance may come if any." She categorically directed scientists and the Institutes to strengthen research to develop disease, salinity and drought tolerant crops for farmers' use. Moreover, she told those who are criticizing GM crops to be moderate and be science-based. Minister Choudhary also declared that the government will formulate a Five Year Plan (FYP)  which will facilitate sustainable agricultural development.

"Challenges in Agriculture in SAARC Countries" was the main theme of the seminar organized by SAARC Agriculture Centre housed at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) campus in Dhaka under the chair of CQK Mostak Ahmed, Agriculture Secretary.

For more information about biotechnology in Bangladesh email Khondoker Nasiruddin at nasirbiotech@yahoo.com

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A focus group discussion on "The regulation of biotech-derived food products:current status and applications was held on 4 December at the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture. Prof. Dr. Ir Dedi Fardiaz from Bogor Agricultural University pointed out that  "Risk analysis has become important to assess conditions and take decisions on control procedures. It is considered a prerequisite in the evaluation of genetically modified (GM) food. Many consumers worldwide worry that food derived from GMOs may be unhealthy and hence regulations on GMO authorizations and labelling have become more stringent."

Dr. James Maryanski, a Food and Ag Biotech Consultant and Former U.S. Food and Drug Authority Biotechnology Coordinator discussed "Codex Science-Based Approach to the Safety of Foods Derived from Modern Biotechnology". He noted that  "No adverse health effects have been found, including any from unintended changes. To date, there are no concerns that require long-term or multi-generation animal studies and after a decade of experience, all bioengineered foods on the market are as safe as conventional counterpart foods." The event  attended by 50 participants was organized by the Indonesia Biotechnology Information Cener (IndoBIC), IAARD, CropLife Indonesia, in collaboration with SEAMEO BIOTROP and PBP. 

For further information email Dewi Suryani of IndoBIC at catleyavanda@gmail.com

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A Malaysian biotechnology company has made splashes at internationally recognized events including BioMalaysia 2009 and HortiFair 2009 as it baby steps its way into the international floriculture arena. OrchidLife Sdn. Bhd. is a biotechnology company focusing on the production of high quality horticulture products through the utilization of plant genomics, breeding and tissue culture. As a spin-off company of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), the company has raised rapidly in the ranks as it built itself upon the research expertise of Prof. Dr. Maziah Mahmood from UPM and the support of its Innovation and Commercialisation Centre (ICC). Recently, they formed a joint venture with Holland-based group of companies, Genetwister Group to establish Genetwister Life (M) Sdn Bhd, focusing on marker identification, marker-assisted breeding, metabolic engineering and genetic modification for the agricultural and horticultural industry. The company is looking to spread its wings to other countries as well.

For more developments on biotechnology in Malaysia email Mahaletchumy Arujanan at maha@bic.org.my.

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Europe

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME) in Germany have developed "super" potatoes that produce pure amylopectin through TILLING (Targeted Induced Local Lesions in Genomes). TILLING is an alternative to the traditional Agrobacterium-mediated transformation technique and uses mutagenesis coupled with gene-specific detection of single-nucleotide changes. Conventional starch is composed of the carbohydrate polymers amylose and amylopectin. Compared to amylose, amylopectin is more water soluble and with higher bonding capacity. Pure amylopectin starch is of high value in several technical applications such as paper, adhesive and textile manufacturing. But separating amylose from amylopectin is an energy and cost-intensive process.

According to the Fraunhofer researchers, 100 tons of these "super" potatoes were harvested earlier this fall. "They can be processed as usual in the production lines," noted Jost Muth, researcher at the IME . "Special measures aren't necessary, because the TILLING potatoes are totally normal breeds that contain no genetically modified material."

"Gene technology-based processes are indispensible and it is prudent to use them, when we want to integrate genetic material into a plant genome, for example if we develop transgenic tobacco plants producing pharmacological substances," said IME scientist Dirk Prüfer. "When it comes to dealing with genes, there is an easy rule: as much modification as needed, but as little as possible."

For more information, read the press release at http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2009/12/super-potato.jsp

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