Global

Jacques Diouf, head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, appealed to world leaders for US$30 billion investment a year to boost agriculture and fight hunger worldwide during the opening of a three-day U.N. summit on the world's food crisis in Rome. Diouf emphasized that the US$ 30 billion is nothing compared to the US$1 200 billion spent on weapons, US$100 billion worth of food wasted in a single country, and US$20 billion excess consumption by the world’s obese in 2006.

“The structural solution to the problem of food security in the world lies in increasing production and productivity in the low-income, food-deficit countries,” Diouf declared. He noted that this will involve innovative solutions, including partnership agreements between countries that have financial resources and technologies and countries that have land, water and human resources.

Diouf also raised the issue of food versus fuel. He stressed that subsidies worth US$11 billion have diverted 100 million tons of cereals from human consumption just to “satisfy the thirst for fuel”. The FAO director concluded that the problem of food security is a political one, since it is the choices made by Governments that determine the allocation of resources.

For more information, visit http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000853/index.html or read the transcript of Diouf’s speech at http://www.fao.org/newsroom/common/ecg/1000853/en/diouf_en.pdf

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The use and prevalence of biotechnology in agriculture will increase along with the desire for biosafety measures. Hence more resources are needed for biosafety and biotechnology monitoring programs in developing countries. This was a point raised by a report entitled “Internationally Funded Training in Biosafety and Biotechnology – Is it Bridging the Biotech Divide” from the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies. The report aims to provide "a neutral, independent and objective assessment of the various internationally funded training programmes for biosafety and biotechnology, especially to the extent that it is necessary for biosafety, in the developing world".

The report noted however, that over the last 15 years only $135 million has been invested in developing countries to develop monitoring skills for biotechnology. More than 100 are incapable of managing organisms created through biotechnology, including experimental and commercial crops and many just adopt bans as a result.

Read the press release at http://www.ias.unu.edu/sub_page.aspx?catID=111&ddlID=673 and instructions to download the full report.

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New sustainable agriculture technologies with renewed funding commitment is the call of the world's largest organization dedicated to international agricultural research in order to alleviate current and future food crises. Emile Frison, Director General of Bioversity International, explained on behalf of the 15 centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), that strategies for a revolution in sustainable agriculture were in place for fruition in the 1990s but were stalled due to the waning of financial support.

The challenges of the early 60s to increase food production was well supported which lead to all-time successes in international agriculture. This resulted to increased harvests and steadily declining food prices that might have lulled donors into complacency about agriculture, Frison commented. With this scenario, the Alliance of CGIAR Centers put together an action plan which was presented during the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) High-Level Conference. The document highlights short, medium, and long-term measures to resolve the current food crisis and reduce the risk of future crises. "We urgently need to accelerate the flow of new varieties tolerant to heat, drought, and other stresses that will become worse with climate change,” Frison said. “We must also spread more widely the new tools and methods from research on natural resource management."

The alliance will also continue to work in concert with other international institutions such as the FAO, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme and World Bank, as well as with many regional, national and local partners.

For details see press release at: http://news.bioversityinternational.org/index.php?itemid=2139

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As the "Conference on World Food Security: Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy" unfolds in Rome, many international organizations mandated to offer solutions to the crisis of rising food prices have stepped forward. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), together with World Bank and other institutions put together steps to alleviate the problem that includes the need to:

• expand emergency aid and social protection for the poor
• calm the markets with sound trade, reserve, and regulatory policies
• change the biofuel policies that spur high food prices, and
• invest much more in agriculture, especially to benefit the small farms of the developing world

For a successful transparent implementation of the above action plan, the group proposed steps that require clear accountability, responsibility, and authority. In addition, these action should require governments' commitment for public investments at all levels, the involvement of private sector and civil society in the planning and implementation, and significant investments. It is imperative that the cost of not responding would mean more humanitarian emergencies, increased malnutrition, food price inflation, and destabilization.

For details, see press release at: http://www.ifpri.org/pressrel/2008/20080603.asp

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Africa

In the face of a dangerous rice crisis, new rice varieties adapted to African conditions are helping increase rice production in the continent. The new rice varieties, which are suited to drylands, were distributed and sown on more than 200,000 hectares during the last five years in several African countries, notably Guinea, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Uganda. Though this represents a major advance, it is still far short of meeting demand, according to a report released in advance of a key international conference in Japan on Africa’s development. Rice production in West Africa - the continent's main rice belt - cannot cope up with rice consumption, and Africa imports more than one-third of the rice traded in the world. “Relying so much on rice from other countries is a recipe for disaster for this continent,’’ said Dr. Papa Abdoulaye Seck, Director General of the Africa Rice Center. “Unless government leaders take strong action now, the economic recovery experienced in so many parts of Africa will evaporate. We need short- and long-term solutions that boost domestic rice production.”

To read more, visit: http://www.warda.cgiar.org/warda/Africa%20Rice%20Center%20T231B5F.pdf

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An agreement to boost agricultural research in Tunisia was recently signed between Marion Guillou, the President of  the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), and Mr Abdelaziz Mougou, President of the Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education (IRESA). The agreement aims at reinforcing scientific exchanges, researcher mobility and joint projects including biotechnology. The program will soon call for proposals for joint research projects between the two establishments.

For details, see press release at:http://www.international.inra.fr/partnerships/inra_iresa_agreement

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A memorandum of understanding was signed by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to boost food production in Africa’s “breadbasket regions”. The new partnership will work closely with other stakeholders to rapidly improve food production, food security and rural incomes. Careful environmental monitoring, and conserving biodiversity, water and land will be given high priority.

"Unlocking the potential of agriculture in Africa is a huge challenge, but it can be done,” said FAO Director Jacques Diouf. “This initiative is an important contribution to reduce the number of more than 200 million hungry people in sub-Saharan Africa.” Kofi Annan, Chairman of the Board of AGRA, said that they are hoping to spur a green revolution in Africa that respects biodiversity and the continent’s distinct regions and great variety of crops.

The press release is available at http://www.agra-alliance.org/news/pr060408.html

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In an International Conference held in Jerusalem, Dr. William D. Dar, Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), challenged politicians, policy makers, and scientists about the critical leadership that both the ICRISAT and Israel's Center for International Cooperation (MASHAV) can bring to the green revolution initiatives in the drylands of sub-saharan Africa.

Dr. Dar called on African governments to be more supportive of their rural poor by adopting policies that encourage agriculture. He also cited ICRISAT's scientific innovations such as improved crop and tree cultivars that would diversify production system and increase incomes; drip irrigation systems for water use efficiency in agriculture; and Dryland Ecofarm systems - a crop-tree-vegetable-livestock systems that focus on rainwater harvesting.  He further suggested five priorities for the Israeli research and development community that include:(1) develop and disseminate high-value horticulture crops; (2) build entrepreneurial capacity of African farmers; (3) conduct hydrological surveys and irrigation feasibility studies for sustainable irrigation projects; (4) build new irrigation facilities based on drip-irrigation; and (5) develop or rehabilitate seasonal dams to capture surface rainwater and raise water tables.

Details of the press release can be viewed at:http://www.icrisat.org/Media/2008/media8.htm

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Americas

Brazil’s oilseed sector is “experiencing a moment of relative prosperity” due to high international prices and overall climatic conditions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service reports that farmers produced a record soybean crop of an estimated 60.1 MMT on 21.7 million hectares. Compared to 2007 figures, Brazilian farmers harvested one million tons more of soybeans on 4% more area than last year. There were less occurrences of Soybean Rust this year, thus making it possible for a projected increase in production and area by 7% during the  planting season in 2008-09.

for more details visit http://www.fas.usda.gov/scripts/gd.asp?ID=146294752

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Conventional dyes and pigments used in clothing maybe potentially harmful to the environment and human health because many are made from non-renewable resources such as petroleum. Moreover, antibacterial-fabric coatings used in the industry can also be potential toxicants. Researchers at the University of California Davis, headed by Gang Sun and student Farnazeh Alihosseini have discovered a strain of marine bacteria that produces large amount of bright red pigments that can be used as a natural dye for wool, nylon, silk and other fabrics. In addition, the pigments also showed strong anti-bacterial properties against E.coli and Staphyloccus aureus.

Details on the the isolation techniques, the properties of the dyes, and additional biochemical information about the dyes can be obtained from the paper published in the current issue of the bi-monthly American Chemical Society Journal, Biotechnology Progress. The full paper however, can be downloaded at: http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/bipret/asap/pdf/bp070481r.pdf

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Scientists from the Washington University in St. Louis have identified two proteins integral to the function of mechanosensitive ion channels in plant roots. As the name suggests, these channels, which regulate the entry and exit of ions (such as potassium and calcium) in plant cells, respond to physical forces such as touch, gravity or pressure. Although researchers have been characterizing mechanosensitive channels for the past 20 years, this is the first time that anybody has been able to identify the proteins responsible for these activities.

The team led by Elizabeth Haswell identified the proteins MSL9 and MSL10 using Arabidopsis knock-down mutants. The proteins were named MSL because of their similarity to a family of bacterial channels known as MscS. The researchers also found out that both proteins are required to produce the mechanosensitive channel activity in plant roots. Haswell and her colleagues suggest that the channel is composed of MSL9 and MSL10 subunits and that this combined structure results in the unique mechanosensitive ion channel behavior.

The complete article is available at http://news-info.wustl.edu/tips/page/normal/11825.html Read the abstract of the paper published by Current Biology at http://www.current-biology.com/content/article/abstract?uid=PIIS0960982208005253&feed=CURBIO

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Results of a study conducted by entomologists from Cornell University showed that genetically modified (GM) plants expressing Bt insecticidal proteins are less likely to harm the target pests’ natural enemies. The researchers compared the effect of common insecticides and BT proteins on the diamondback moth larvae and its wasp parasite, Diadegma. In nature, caterpillars parasitized by Diadegma usually die.

Bt-resistant diamond back moths were used to separate out the effect of insecticides and Bt proteins on the caterpillar and parasitic wasp. The scientists observed that parasitized caterpillars fed with insecticide treated plants, to which they were resistant, survived and developed to moths since the wasp larvae were killed by the insecticide the caterpillar ingested. When Bt-resistant caterpillars were fed with Bt plants on the other hand, the wasp larvae developed into adults killing the diamond back moth.

“Our studies make it clear that Bt plants are a win-win situation to control pest insects and to enhance biocontrol and biodiversity," noted Anthony Shelton, who together with Mao Chen, conducted the study.

The complete article is available at http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/June08/SafetyofBt.mf.html

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The United States agricultural exports forecast is estimated to be a record high of $108.5 billion in 2008. This is about $26.5 billion more than 2007 exports. U.S. Agricultural Secretary Ed Schafer said that grains and animal products account for two-thirds of the export gains.

"America's increased export volume in bulk commodities like corn, other animal feeds and soybeans make agriculture the bright spot in the overall balance of trade," said Schafer. "U.S. producers are on track to export a record 63 million tons of corn, and set new export volume and value records for pork. Export volumes and values are also up for many horticultural products with sales growth to Canada and the European Union being exceptionally strong."

Access the summary and full report of USDA's "Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade" from the Economic Research Service website at http://www.ers.usda.gov/ or the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) website at http://www.fas.usda.gov/ . For the FAS press release visit http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/PressRelease/pressrel_dout.asp?PrNum=0094-08

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Biological control of human pathogenic bacteria is now feasible based on the developed and tested method of Ching-Hsing Liao, a microbiologist of the Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture. Dipping crop produce such as bell pepper in a solution of Pseudomonas fluorescens 2-79 was effective in halting the growth of Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7, the causal pathogen in human food poisoning. Pathogen population which multiply 100,000 times when stored at 68⁰F in untreated peppers are suppressed when they are treated with the bacterial solution. Pf2-79 can also limit the growth of cold-tolerant pathogens as well as  the common spoilage bacteria.

Further research is currently focused on the large scale validation and the identification of additional bacterial strains that  could be used with Pf 2-79 to further improve the safety and quality of crops.

See details of the research in the press release at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080602.htm

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The "Fiji Dwarf" coconut variety may be able to save the US coconut industry which is being destroyed by the lethal yellowing (LY) phytoplasma. Coconut in the US is being valued for their fruit and processing by-products as well as it being an important landscape element. However, since 1970, the yellowing disease started attacking the South Florida coconut canopy which destroyed about 100,000 coconut palms.

Breeding strategies in Agricultural Research Service in Miami, Florida has commenced since then and the Fiji Dwarf coconut was selected by ornamental growers because of its heavy, dense crown of short, dark leaves; variable resistance to LY in Florida; and tolerance to nutritional deficiencies of Florida's relatively infertile soils. In addition, the scientists also observed that in the past six years, not a single Fiji Dwarf has died of LY at the Subtropical Horticulture Research Station (SHRS) in Miami. Further research in the station is currently focused on the development of LY resistance in the Fiji Dwarf and other varieties through molecular tools.

See details of the research in the press release at:http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080529.htm

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The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) , with the Livestock and Agriculture Ministry, launched two new transgenic soybean varieties (BRS 278RR and BRS 279RR) for the north and northeast regions of Brazil. Pedro Moreira, a researcher from EMBRAPA Soja noted that these new glyphosate tolerant varieties are ideal for these regions where “weed problems” are prevalent. The new GM lines produce yield comparable to commercial varieties. BRS 278RR can be cultivated even at higher altitudes (above 400 meters). BRS 278RR, on the other hand, is resistant to the root knot and soybean cyst nematodes, pests that severely limit production in the region.

Read the article (in Portuguese) at http://www.cnpso.embrapa.br/noticia/ver_noticia.php?cod_noticia=455

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Dow AgroSciences, Mertec and M.S. Technologies have entered a long-term, non-exclusive agreement to jointly develop and commercialize several innovative technologies for use in soybeans, globally. Under the agreement, Dow AgroSciences and M.S. Technologies will apply their proprietary technologies to Mertec’s germplasm. Dow AgroSciences expects to launch their Herbicide Tolerance 2 trait (DHT2) that will provide resistance to the herbicide 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) by 2013. Following the DHT2 trait will be the development of other technologies including a glyphosate tolerant and 2,4-D tolerant combination.

View the press release at http://www.dowagro.com/newsroom/corporatenews/2008/20080604a.htm

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Asia and the Pacific

The Australian Commonwealth Scientific Research Organization (CSIRO) has submitted an application to the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) for the limited and controlled release of cotton genetically modified for waterlogging resistance. OGTR has prepared a Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plan (RARMP) which concludes that the release of the GM cotton lines poses negligible risk to human health and safety, or to the environment. The GM lines contain genes coding for certain enzymes activated during anaerobic respiration as well as plant hemoglobin from Arabidopsis.

To finalize the RARMP, which will be the basis of the decision on whether to issue a license, OGTR now seeks comments and advice regarding the release. The trial will be conducted in Narrabri in New South Wales, on a total area of 0.1 ha per growing season from October 2008 to May 2011. If approved, CSIRO is bound to adopt certain measures to restrict the dissemination and persistence of GM plant materials in the environment.

Read more at http://www.ogtr.gov.au/ir/dir083.htm

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At the High Level Conference on World Food Security hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Philippines Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap sought the creation of global reserves or stockpiles for food, with emphasis on rice. The proposed global reserves could be expanded later, he added, to include other staples such as wheat and corn.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is pursuing a five-harvest plan to make the Philippines 98% self-sufficient in rice by 2010 by adopting an array of intervention measures or a production support build-up based on its experiences in previous rice productivity programs. To attain the country’s rice self-sufficiency targets by 2010, the DA is working in tandem with experts from the government, the private sector, and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, Laguna.

To read more, visit: http://www.da.gov.ph/wps/portal/!ut/p/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLN4gPCgHJgFjGpvqRqCKOcAFfj_zcVP0gfW_
9AP2C3NCIckdHRQCzWIie/delta/base64xml/L0lDU0lKQ1RPN29na21BISEvb0VvUUFBSVFnak
ZJQUFRaENFSVFqR0VBLzRKRmlDbzBlaDFpY29uUVZHaGQtc0lRIS83XzBfMUZSLzI!?WCM_PORTLET=PC_7_0_1FR_WCM&WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/DA+Site/
News/News+Archives/2008/June/004+Secretary+Yap+seeks+creation+of+global+food+reserves

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Europe

United Kingdom (UK) Wildlife Minister Joan Ruddock speaking before the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties in Bonn urged the nations to work together internationally in order to conserve the world's wildlife. The minister appreciated the fact that some of the agreements reached in the convention were geared towards the development of international sustainability standard for biofuels and the adoption of the criteria to designate international marine protected areas.

Other agreements reached at the Conference of the Parties include:

• An indefinite moratorium on dumping nutrients such as iron and nitrogen into the oceans to promote the growth of phytoplankton and absorb excess carbon dioxide, with the exception of scientific studies looking at the efficiency of ocean seeding.

• A detailed road map that will lead to an international regime by 2010 to ensure that people in developing countries benefit from discoveries using their rich biodiversity and genetic resources.

In her final remarks, the minister commented that nations should be committed to pursue these agreements and that, "The world should not be complacent since the world's natural resources cut across national boundaries and the UK will continue to press for international action to ensure that we protect them for all of us in the future.”

See press release at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2008/biodiversity-0602.htm for more details.

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The European Parliament recently backed two amendments to a resolution on rising food prices calling on the European Union (EU) institutions to urgently discuss the use of modern biotechnology as one tool to help enable Europe to respond to the rising food prices.  “Biotechnology, a tool used by plant breeders to develop better crop varieties, enables farmers to increase productivity in a sustainable way, both in Europe and in the rest of the world. Biotech crops can help farmers meet the challenges of climate change, reduce the environmental footprint of farming, and ensure food security,” said Johan Vanhemelrijck, Secretary General of EuropaBio, the EU association for bioindustries. 

To read more, visit http://www.europabio.org/articles/GBE/press%20arcticles/EP%20Resolution_080522_short.pdf.

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Field experiments conducted by Plant Research International of the Wageningen University for the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture shows that pollen-mediated gene flow between GM and conventional maize is less likely to occur when farmers consider the agreed isolations distances between the fields. In the Netherlands, the isolation distances are 25 meters (between GM and conventional maize fields) and 250 meters (between GM and organic maize).

Researchers found a sample from the receptor field (field where samples are taken to check the mixing) with significantly high value. The most logical explanation, according to scientists, is that a GM seed was sown in the non-GM field. This is despite the strict protocol of the field experiment. Because of this, Dutch Agriculture Minister Gerda Verburg, suggests that extra measures for commercial planting of GM crops should be established, such as an obligated course for farmers.

The percentage of GM materials in the field, nonetheless, remains far below the EU agreed 0.9 percent accidental GMO threshold.

Read more at http://www.coextra.eu/country_reports/news1198_en.html

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