Biosafety Workshop in Egypt

A workshop on the importance of biosafety law in Egypt was held on 11 July 2012 under the auspices of Prof.  EzzAbusteit, the Vice President of Cairo. More than 50 specialists in various fields were present to answer queries from members of the agriculture committee in the Egyptian Parliament.  The workshop was organized by the Egyptian Biotechnology Information Center (EBIC) and the Ministry of Environment.

The participants stressed the importance of adopting a legal system that would regulate the use and handling of GM products. They said that adopting GM crops would contribute to alleviating population increase and the negative effects of climate change. Greg Gaffe, Senior Legal Consultant for the Program of Biosafety System, emphasized the importance of adopting GM technology in Egypt. He explained  the challenges facing Egypt and how the technology could contribute to reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers. 

Dr. Naglaa Abdallah, Director of the Egypt Biotechnology Information Center, explained the role of Egyptian universities and research centers in solving agricultural problems. She said that many crops are now in the pipeline and are awaiting the "green light"  for commercialization.  

Among the workshop recommendations were as follows:

• Speed up process of biosafety law approval.
• Launch campaign on promotion and adoption of GM technology.
• Organize regional seminars for stakeholders on the benefits and applications of the technology.
• Develop an institution to serve as a  market place for scientific ideas.
• Establish a council under the guidance of the Prime Minister that would represent all the ministries that produce or consume GM material. 

For more information about crop biotech in Egypt, email Dr. Naglaa Abdalla of the Egypt Biotechnology Information Center at naglaa_a@hotmail.com.