ISAAA Brief 38-2009: Note from Chairman

ISAAA Brief 38-2009: The Development and Regulation of Bt Brinjal in India (Eggplant/Aubergine)

I have pleasure in sharing with you a complimentary copy of the most recent Brief in an Annual Review Series, published by ISAAA over the last twelve years, which highlights the overview of the development and regulation of Bt brinjal in India. This ISAAA Brief is a very comprehensive review of all aspects of the cultivation in India of the important vegetable brinjal, also known as eggplant or aubergine. Importantly, the Brief summarizes the development and regulatory status in India of biotech Bt brinjal hybrids which confer resistance to the most important insect-pest of brinjal, fruit and shoot borer (FSB).

This ISAAA Brief is the result of an intensive review by the authors of all aspects related to the development and regulation of Bt brinjal in India. My hope is that this Brief will not only serve the needs of India but also the needs of Bangladesh and the Philippines in evolving a common regulatory framework, and generally facilitate regional harmonization of biotech crops in Asia. It can also serve as a model to facilitate regional harmonization in Sub-Sahara Africa where the need for simplified, responsible and appropriate regulations is even greater than in Asia, and for smaller countries in the Andean region of Latin America.

It is a pleasure to commend the senior author of this ISAAA Brief, Mr. Bhagirath Choudhary and his co-author Ms. Kadambini Gaur, based at the ISAAA office in New Delhi, India for proactively anticipating the knowledge needs of society about the development and status of Bt brinjal in India, which has undergone a rigorous safety assessment by the regulatory authorities. I am pleased, that consistent with the ISAAA mandate of freely sharing knowledge on biotech crops with developing countries that this Brief is being offered by ISAAA at no cost to all eligible nationals from all developing countries in the three continents of the south. We encourage you to share comments and suggestions with us on the ISAAA Briefs series so that we can better meet your information needs on the fast developing science of crop biotechnology.

Best regards,

Clive James
Founder and Chairman, ISAAA