Malaysian Delegation on Biotech Study Tour to U.S.

A Malaysian delegation comprised of six delegates including three Genetic Modification Advisory Committee (GMAC) members went on a biotech study tour to the USA. The tour started on August 2 in Washington DC and ended on the 6^th at the University of California Davis. The delegation, led by Dr. Ahmad Parveez, the GMAC chair and Principle Research Officer at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, included Dr. Helen Nair (GMAC member and Fellow of Academy of Sciences Malaysia), Dr. Johti Panandam (GMAC member and Professor at Universiti Putra Malaysia), Dr. Azizah Abdul Hamid (Director of Food Biotechnology, MOSTI), Wong Wan Cheng (Chief Assistant Director at MOA) and Mahaletchumy Arujanan (Executive Director of MABIC). Delegates were able to have a better understanding of the U.S. approach in regulating agri-biotechnology.

They was briefed by regulators from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Authority, Food and Drug Authority and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on the U.S. regulatory framework. Other organizations visited in Washington, DC were the International Food Policy Research Institute, Program on Biosafety System and Biotechnology Industry Organization. A farm visit in Maryland further enhanced the delegation's understanding of GM adoption and coexistence with conventional crops. The visit to UC Davis provided an insight to the research activities at this university and the collaboration between the university and Agricultural Research Service.

The visit created opportunities for Malaysian officials to engage U.S. regulatory counterparts on the advances in regulatory science and adapting to changes in internationally accepted, science-based protocols that assess and manage risk for agricultural biotechnology. An additional benefit was the building of a network of communication between U.S. regulatory officials, technical and policy experts with counterparts in Malaysia. This network is expected to enhance Malaysia regulatory decision-making through an exchange of science and information with U.S. officials and technical experts. Dialogue will provide an improved understanding of the regulatory framework applied in the U.S. and adoption of such science-based regulations in Malaysia.

Email Mahaletchumy Arujanan for more details about the U.S. trip at maha@bic.org.my