Asia Needs to Tackle Biotech and Knowledge Management

Agricultural challenges such as food security, environmental sustainability, climate change and energy security continue to confront Asian countries. These challenges need to be addressed with crop biotechnology as a possible option. Countries thus need to utilize biological knowledge to greater productive value and identify gaps in the process chain, from product development to utilization. This is where knowledge management plays a crucial part as it enables innovation and productivity that lead to action. These were insights during the International Conference on Knowledge Management in Agricultural Biotechnology: The Asian Experience in Bangkok, Thailand.

In his keynote message, Dr.Thira Sutabutra, chairman of Thailand 's National Research Council, stressed the importance of knowledge management as it streamlines efforts to enhance knowledge sharing among countries . The workshop's themes were: agri-biotechnology and KM, platforms on biosafety policies governing agri-biotech, capacity building for KM, and KM and networking.

Over 80 participants attended the workshop where current and potential initiatives for KM were discussed. These include the promotion of a learning culture, knowledge use through improved access to knowledge resources, and knowledge creation platforms that allow exchange and synthesis of knowledge. Organizers included the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications.

For more information about the workshop email jap@agri.searca.org.