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In
This Issue:
FRENCH
ACADEMY OF SCIENCES SAYS GM CROPS SAFE
In a
report released last week, France's Academy of Sciences announced its
support for GM crops. The report says that there is no evidence to
date showing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) pose potential
health and environmental risks.
"All
the criticisms against GMOs can be set aside based for the most part
on strictly scientific criteria," the report says, adding that
"any generalization on the potential risks linked to GMOs is
impossible since scientific rigor can only proceed from a case by
case analysis."
The
Academy also called for the EU to end its moratorium on the approval
and environmental release of GMOs. The report said that with the
implementation of the new regulations "there will be no
objective reason to continue the moratorium on market approval
authorization of GMOs."
The
Academy report centered on the role of fundamental research, the
contributions of the transgenic crops to agriculture, on the risks
and the regulation, and the prospects offered to the developing
countries. The work also comprises a chapter intended to clarify the
basic scientific concepts on the matter.
In a
related development, France's Academy of Medicine also called earlier
for the European countries to lift the ban on GM crops, saying it saw
no evidence that GM crops pose risks to humans, AFP reported. The
academy said in a report that GM food had been grown and eaten for
around a decade, especially in the United States, and "no
particular health problem has been detected."
GM
food could be a boon for countries with fast-growing populations and
marginal and shrinking farmland, the report added.
For
more information, visit the website of the France Academy of Sciences
at http://rd.bcentral.com/?ID=438880&s=8524878
CSIRO
BREEDS SALT-TOLERANT WHEAT
Australia's
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)
announced that they have successfully bred the first salt-tolerant
durum wheat variety. CSIRO claims that it will give farmers in
salt-affected areas the opportunity to grow durum wheat and attract
its higher prices, while increasing Australia's world market share in
premium wheat.
Rana
Munns, senior research scientist at CSIRO Plant Industry, says there
are two mechanisms for salt tolerance in cereals like wheat. One is
the exclusion of salt by the plant's roots, the other is tolerance of
salt in the leaves. Bread wheat has one and barley has the other, but
modern durum wheat has neither.
Munns
and Ray Hare, from Enterprise Grains Australia's wheat and durum
breeding program, discovered an ancient salt-tolerant durum wheat
variety that excluded salt. The team was able to breed the tolerance
mechanisms of the ancient wheat variety into modern breeding lines
and current Australian varieties.
Extensive
field trials are planned for next year. "If successful, a
salt-tolerant durum wheat variety could be available to growers
within three years, says Hare.
For
more information email Rana Munns at rana.munns@csiro.au
or Ray Hare at mailto:ray.hare@agric.nsw.gov.au
BRAZIL
TO IMPORT GM CORN
Reuters
reports that Brazil might import genetically modified (GM) corn next
year particularly from the US and Argentina to feed its livestock.
This according to Brazil's new agriculture minister Roberto Rodrigues
who clarified that this would only be done under strict scientific
controls and labeling so as to protect public health and the environment.
"Corn
is needed to feed poultry, pigs and dairy cattle but will only be
imported after absolutely strict scientific studies and
labeling," said Rodrigues. Brazil is the last major agricultural
producer to ban the commercial use of GM crops.
Reuters
further adds that after drought damaged its harvest, Brazil last
month slashed a corn import tariff to 2 percent from 9.5 percent
until end-February 2003, making it easier to import corn from the US.
In
related developments, Minister Rodriques was also quoted as saying
that he is in favor of legalizing GM crops in Brazil. He stressed
that GM crops could help combat famine by reducing food prices.
Noting that GM is a controversial issue, the agriculture minister
said that reforms would be adopted gradually and with a scientific foundation.
TOP
VATICAN OFFICIAL: GM FOODS CAN FEED THE WORLD
Archbishop
Renato Martino, who until recently represented the Holy See at the
United Nations and now head of the Vatican's council dealing with
social issues, said that GM foods could be used to feed the world's
hungry, according to a news report by the South African Press
Association (SAPA).
Martino
said he had lived in America for 16 years and ate what came from the
market, including GM foods. "So far I have had no ill
effects." He said that the controversy over rejection of GM
foods was more "political than scientific."
BIOTECH
FOR IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
Research
has to be done to improve agricultural productivity and food quality
in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Jennifer
Thomson, scientist at the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology,
University of Cape Town, South Africa, says that research must
include resistance to plant viruses, fungi and the parasitic weed
Striga. Other areas include the development of resistance to Bacillus
thuringiensis toxin-expressing crops, and studies on drought and heat
tolerant crops as well as those that can combat the problems of soil deficiencies.
Thomson
adds that vaccine production in plants should be a high priority.
Research into food quality should include the equivalents of
"golden rice" in corn, the enhancement of the production of
phytosterols and improved qualities of vegetable oils.
Thomson
cautions though that farmers will not plant crops with such
improvements unless they are linked to increased yields and increased
profits. Scientists undertaking this research, according to the South
African scientist, need to bear this in mind and ensure that the
plants they produce meet farmers' expectations.
The
full paper is available in the American Society for Nutritional
Sciences journal, 0022-3166/02. Email Jennifer Thomson at JAT@science.uct.ac.za
for further details.
SYNGENTA
AND DIVERSA FORM R&D ALLIANCE
Syngenta
and Diversa announced that they have established a shared
biotechnology research platform. Diversa is to acquire certain
technology rights from Syngenta for pharmaceutical applications, in
exchange for equity. The transaction will strengthen the research
capabilities of both companies.
According
to Syngenta, the alliance will combine research activities in
genomics and related technologies for new plant science applications,
as well as for selected antibody generation and other biopharma
product development. Syngenta will enter into a renewable research
contract with Diversa for an initial commitment of $118 million over
seven years to be invested in products in Syngenta's chosen fields.
Diversa will receive milestone payments and royalties on products developed.
"This
collaboration will ensure that Syngenta stays at the cutting edge of
genomics science and creates new product opportunities," said
Dr. David Lawrence, Syngenta Head of Research & Technology.
"The agreement enables us to broaden our biotechnology
capability and bring innovative products to market more quickly."
In
other developments, Syngenta Crop Protection expects to launch VIP
(vegetative insecticidal protein) cotton, a transgenic,
insect-resistant cotton trait in 2004 and 2005. Syngenta claims that
the VIP technology will provide protection against many of the major
worm pests that feed on cotton plants.
Like
Bt cotton, VIP cotton includes a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis.
However, the VIP gene produces a different protein, which has a
different mode of action, structure and spectrum of activity than the
Bt-derived protein in Bt cotton.
Visit
Syngenta at its website: http://rd.bcentral.com/?ID=438879&s=8524878
VILLAGE
BANK ESTABLISHED FOR BANANA BIOTECH
The
banana tissue culture project in Kenya has come up with a way to
assist small-scale farmers acquire tissue culture banana plantlets.
To provide an infrastructure for farmers who want to avail of the
plantlets, the project established a village bank.
Over
the last years, ISAAA AfriCenter and Kenya Agricultural Research
Institute (KARI) have been involved in the tissue culture banana
project to benefit small-scale resource-poor farmers in Kenya and
East Africa. Though the project has been adopted well by the farmers,
it has met challenges namely lack of micro credit to purchase
plantlets, adequate water for irrigating the orchards and a
well-organized marketing system for the fruits.
The
village bank was set-up to address the problem with financing. Since
the tissue culture plants were better than conventional ones, farmers
were willing to pay a higher price. Still, small-scale farmers could
not afford the number of plantlets that would make their undertaking
economically viable. A credit for purchasing plantlets was
established, however no infrastructure was laid down initially. The
established village bank is accessible to farmers as opposed to
commercial banks. Cooperatives were also not viable as those in the
area have been experiencing management problems.
The
village bank answers the need for a financial institution that is not
only responsive to their needs but also allows the farmers to have
more control over its operations. The new development is aimed at
deeply rooting a revolving fund into the community and developing a
strong and committed leadership and operational capabilities to run a
community based organization.
A
complete write-up is available at http://rd.bcentral.com/?ID=438881&s=8524878.
For inquiries, email AfriCenter@isaaa.org
MEDIA'S
ROLE IN THE BIOTECH DEBATE
A
conference held at the John F. Kennedy School of Government last
November 21, 2002 examined how the media kept the public informed
about the growing presence of biotechnology in food. The conference
featured three separate discussions, "Media Coverage of Science
Issues," moderated by Shorenstein Center director Alex Jones;
"Genetically Modified Corn: Covering Science and Controversy - A
Case Study," moderated by Dan Glickman Institute of Politics
director and former U.S. secretary of agriculture; and
"Communicating Food and Health Risks to Consumers,"
moderated by Boyce Rensberger, director of Knight Science Journalism
Fellowships at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
During
the discussion moderated by Glickman, the panel agreed that no single
sector - such as the scientists, the media or the government - has
all the answers. There were criticisms against the media for its
"sensational" reporting on the alleged effect of Bt corn on
monarch butterflies. However, others praised the media for its
handling of the Starlink corn incident.
Michael
Rodemeyer, executive director of the Pew Initiative on Food and
Biotechnology said, "the rising calls in Congress and the
administration for sound science reflects a growing sense in policy
circles that there's a lack of sound science behind scientific
decisions. Critics complain that decisions are often driven by
political concerns driven by sensational headlines."
C.S.
Prakash, professor in plant molecular genetics and director of the
Center for Plant Biotechnology Research at Tuskegee University was
more critical of the press. He said that the media has used scare
tactics and words like "Frankenfoods" to appeal to the
public's emotions rather than relying on the science, which he said,
shows the foods are overwhelmingly safe.
Marc
Kaufman, the science reporter for The Washington Post who broke the
StarLink story, stated his belief that scientific journals were still
credible because of their peer-review process. He further said that
the potential of GM plants to increase yields, produce needed drugs,
and reduce the tons of chemical pesticides dumped on agricultural
land each year has been lost in the debate.
Linda
Thrane, executive director of the industry trade group the Council
for Biotechnology Information said, "if these products don't
reach the marketplace, the transformative benefits aren't going to be seen."
For
more details, go to the Harvard University Gazette at http://rd.bcentral.com/?ID=438878&s=8524878
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Biotech Mentor's Kit Available
A
mentor's kit is now available online. It is a result of a
collaborative project between the International Service for the
Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) and the Philippine
Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources (PCARRD). It
is a set of Powerpoint transparencies on biotechnology designed to be
a comprehensive, instructional material on the subject matter for use
by speakers from the academe and government agencies. While
tailor-made for Philippine audience, the kit can be adapted for use
by other stakeholders. It can be downloaded at http://rd.bcentral.com/?ID=438877&s=8524878
Notice: Due
to the upcoming Holiday Season, the next issue of the Crop Biotech
Update is scheduled on January 3, 2003. |
