
Biosafety Workshop in Egypt
July 20, 2012 |
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.
|
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- USDA ERS Report: Food Security Estimated to Improve in 2012
- FAO, OECD Release Latest Agricultural Outlook
- IITA Offers Improved Cassava, Cowpea and Maize Seeds to Nigerian State
- Initiative to Empower African Women in Agriculture
- Biosafety Workshop in Egypt
- USDA: Farmers Continue to Adopt Biotech Crops across the U.S.
- DOE Grant Research Award to Study Drought for Next Generation Bioenergy Grasses
- Purdue Scientists Working to Make Drought-Resistant Crops
- U.S. and South American Farmers Unite to Support Biotech
- 4-H ers in Cities Learn and Teach About Biotech
- DNA Markers for Crown Rot in Wheat Research
- Salt Cress Genome Yields New Clues to Salt Tolerance
- 5th Indonesian Biotechnology Conference Concluded in Lombok, Indonesia
- Biotechnology Expert Dialog 2012 in Bogor
- Environmental Risk Assessment Tackled in Bangladesh
- Indian Leaders Discuss Efforts to Increase Food Targets
- Philippine Gov't Funds Research to Enrich Copra Meal
- Malaysia to Double Rice Yields
- France's Agricultural Biotechnology, Advancing Despite Regulatory Hurdles
- Major Investment to Persuade Bacteria to Help Cereals Self-Fertilize
- Genetic Basis for Differences in Vernalization in Plants
-
Research Highlights
- GE Wheat has No Detrimental Effects on Anecic Earthworm
- Improving Blast Resistance of Rice thru Marker-assisted Gene Pyramiding
- Biotech Banana Confers Resistance to Black Leaf Streak
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- Experts to Create Accessible Food Pathogen Genome Database
-
Announcements
- First IRRI Young Scientists Conference
- TERI-ITEC Course: Applications of Biotech and its Regulation
- Annual Bio India to be Held in Mumbai
-
Resources
- New Methodologies for Better Quality Wheat
- 2011 HarvestPlus Annual Report Now Available
- CIAT Launches First Book of the Issues in Tropical Agriculture Series
- Cartoon Booklet GM Knowledge Q&A Released
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (February 5, 2025)
- Gene Editing Supplement (January 30, 2025)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet