NEWS
Global
JRC Study Says Biotech Food Safe
Fifth Anniversary of Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
Arcadia Biosciences Awarded As Global Innovator
Africa
UN-backed Carbon Forum Helps Africa Profit from Greenhouse Gas Offset
Scheme
Americas
Iowa State to Create NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable
Chemicals
KSU Scientists Develop Herbicide-Resistant Sorghum
Enzyme Detectives Uncover New Reaction Products
Syngenta to Develop Heat-Tolerant Broccoli
Two Scientists Inducted into ARS Hall of Fame
Environmental Impact Statement Required for GM Alfalfa
World's First Synthetic Tree for Heat Transfer, Soil Remediation
EPA Fines Syngenta for Pesticide Violation
Asia and the Pacific
China's US$3.5 Billion GM Crops Push
China Gears Up for Biotech Amidst Concerns
Vietnam Builds Biotechnology Research Center
India Develops Mustard Hybrid
Europe
Germany's KWS Completes Trials of GM Sugarbeets
EU Approves LibertyLink Soybean
Notification to Field Test GM potato in Germany
Research
Plant Genomes May Incorporate Agrobacterium Chromosomal DNA
Digestion of Bt Proteins by Slugs
Biofuels Supplement ( September 12, 2008 Issue)
News and Trends
Vivipary Reported in Jatropha curcas L.
<http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/biofuels/default.asp?Date=9/12/2008#3133>
Study Analyzes the Future Global Biofuels Industry
<http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/biofuels/default.asp?Date=9/12/2008#3134>
Vehicle Study Shows 99% Biodiesel Blend (B99) Performs as Well as
Regular PetroDiesel
<http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/biofuels/default.asp?Date=9/12/2008#3135>
Energy Crops and Feedstocks for Biofuels Production
Purdue University Scientists' Corn Gene Study to Help Identify Next
Generation Biofuels
<http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/biofuels/default.asp?Date=9/12/2008#3136>
Biofuels Processing
Scientists Study Microwave Technology to Reduce Cost of Biodiesel
Production
<http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/biofuels/default.asp?Date=9/12/2008#3137>
Scientists Develop Robust Thermophilic Cellulose Ethanol Bacterium
<http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/biofuels/default.asp?Date=9/12/2008#3138>
Biofuels Policy and Economics
New Zealand Passes Legislation Enabling Sustainable Biofuels
<http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/biofuels/default.asp?Date=9/12/2008#3139>
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News
Global
[Top]
JRC Study Says Biotech Food Safe
The Joint Research Centre, The European Union's scientific and technical
research laboratory and an integral part of the European Commission, has
released its report on the "Scientific and technical contribution to the
development of an overall health strategy in the area of GMOs". The
overall results of the study indicate that:
* There is a comprehensive body of knowledge that already
adequately addresses current food safety issues including those dealing
with GM products; it is considered by the experts as sufficient to
assess the safety of present GM products.
* Developments in biotechnology will require even more sizeable
efforts to maintain an adequate capacity to deal with novel products.
* Such R& D efforts need to be firmly inscribed in an
international context.
* It is essential that a forum is created where stakeholders meet
regularly to share expertise, to identify areas of improvement, to
forecast upcoming developments and to anticipate needs for scientific
and technical efforts.
Willy De Greef, Secretary General of EuropaBio, the European Association
for Bioindustries, said "That food made from biotech crops is safe for
human and animal consumption is not exactly news. We hope that the
European policymakers who have insisted on verifying this fact again
will now act in accordance with the findings in the form of more timely
and actual approvals of biotech products".
A copy of the executive summary of the report is downloadable from
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/downloads/jrc_20080910_gmo_study_en.pdf
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[Top]
Fifth Anniversary of Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
September 11, 2003 marked the entry into force of the Cartagena Protocol
on Biosafety. This year's anniversary theme is "The Cartagena Protocol
on Biosafety: Five years of global cooperation towards sustainable
development". More than 140 countries have ratified the Protocol which
is among the world's key international environmental instruments to
ensure that modern biotechnology is developed and applied in an
environmentally sound manner. It aims to improve safety in the transfer,
handling and use of living modified organisms.
In an anniversary statement, United Nations Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon said "I congratulate the 147 Parties to the Protocol for their
achievements over the past five years, and urge those countries that
have not done so to ratify or accede to the Protocol without delay. Let
us reaffirm our commitment to the Protocol, and let us strive even
harder to devise the additional measures and initiatives that will be
needed to ensure its full implementation."
Details of the anniversary are available at
http://www.cbd.int/biosafety/anniversary/.
Download the U.N. Secretary
General's speech at
http://www.cbd.int/doc/speech/2008/sp-2008-09-11-cp-unsg-en.pdf
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[Top]
Arcadia Biosciences Awarded As Global Innovator
Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., a U.S. agricultural biotechnology company
focused on the development of agricultural products that improve the
environment and enhance human health, was one of the 2008 Tech Awards
Laureates honored by the Tech Museum of Innovation for innovators who
are applying technology "to benefit humanity and spark global change."
Arcadia, one of 25 global innovators, was cited for using advanced
biotechnology techniques for its nitrogen use efficiency technology
(NUE) .
NUE technology enables crops to produce high yields with significantly
less fertilizer than conventional crops. Arcadia has commercial
licensing agreements with several seed companies around the world for
use of NUE technology in crops such as canola, corn, wheat, rice, and
sugar beets. The first crops developed using NUE technology are expected
to be commercialized by 2012.
Download the press release at
http://www.arcadiabio.com/media/pr/0027.pdf
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Africa
[Top]
UN-backed Carbon Forum Helps Africa Profit from Greenhouse Gas Offset
Scheme
A three-day deal making and networking was recently concluded at the
African Carbon Forum in Senegal which was organized by the United
Nations. The discussion focused on how the African continent can improve
its standing in the global carbon marketplace. Some 600 participants
from 60 countries participated in the forum where deals were forged such
as the use of energy-efficient light bulbs in Senegal and the pledging
of $20 million fund towards a public/private partnership to assess
carbon offset projects.
"Much remains to be done in the form of awareness-raising and
capacity-building before African countries can take full advantage of
the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), but progress is
being made, and we saw it here," said Daniele Violetti of the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
For details, see press release at:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27954&Cr=africa&Cr1=climate
Americas
[Top]
Iowa State to Create NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable
Chemicals
The Iowa State University is the recipient of a $18.5 million grant to
create the National Science Foundation Engineering (NSF) Research Center
for Biorenewable Chemicals. The grant is part of the NSF's Generation
Three Engineering Research Centers designed "to create university and
industry partnerships in research and education that promote innovation,
transform engineered systems, advance technology and produce engineering
graduates who can creatively contribute to US competitive advantage in a
global economy".
For Iowa State, the grant will be used to develop technologies for plant
based chemical industry and other biorenewables, utilizing both the
biocatalytic and chemical catalytic technologies. Undergraduate and
graduate students will be educated to become creative and innovative
engineers by exposing them in multidisciplinary research and
international partnerships. Education efforts will also be geared
towards pre-college students and teachers that bring engineering
concepts into their classrooms to stimulate students to study
engineering and science.
For details on the grant and the various efforts planned, see article at
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2008/sep/CBiRC.shtml
[Top]
KSU Scientists Develop Herbicide-Resistant Sorghum
Weed management is one of the biggest concerns for grain sorghum
producers, but Kansas State University scientists are finding ways to
remedy the problem. Kassim Al-Khatib, KSU professor of weed physiology,
and his colleagues have developed a herbicide-resistant grain sorghum
line. The sorghum line is tolerant to acetolactate synthase
(ALS)-inhibitor herbicides such as Steadfast, Accent, Resolve, and Ally.
"This technology has excellent potential for controlling broadleaf and
grassy weeds in sorghum, using post-emergence herbicides," Al-Khatib
said, adding that he expects producer acceptance to be high because no
post-emergence herbicide is now available for managing grassy weeds in
sorghum. The team involved in the project is also working with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's program for Minor Use Pesticides as
well as to register the use of Steadfast herbicide on ALS-resistant
sorghum.
Read the article at
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/story/briefs090408.aspx
[Top]
Enzyme Detectives Uncover New Reaction Products
Scientists at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National
Laboratory have discovered a fundamental shift in an enzyme's function
that could possibly widen the possibilities in bioengineering biofuels
and other plant based-oil products. According to John Shanklin, the
project leader, "placing double bonds in different positions allows you
to change the structures of the fatty acids to make products with
different potential applications. Their ultimate goal - engineering
designer plant oils to be used as biofuels. The Brookhaven team modified
a desaturase enzyme by changing three of the 363 amino acids in its
protein sequence producing a shift in double-bond position.
Upon further investigation the enzyme modification yielded three
completely new products - two variations of a hydroxylated product
called an allylic alcohol and a fatty acid containing two double bonds.
This work demonstrated that making small changes to the enzyme's amino
acid sequence can facilitate a wide range of chemical potentials.
Shanklin added that, engineering designer desaturase-like plant enzymes
could tailor-make biofuel feedstocks with optimal properties, instead of
relying on the properties of preexisting raw materials.
See the article for more details at:
http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/PR_display.asp?prID=810
[Top]
Syngenta to Develop Heat-Tolerant Broccoli
Syngenta Seeds Inc. has teamed with California-based R&D Ag Inc. to
develop heat-tolerant broccoli varieties. The agreement gives Syngenta a
license for R&D Ag's patent on heat-tolerant broccoli. In addition, it
will also provide Syngenta with research rights as well as exclusive,
global marketing rights for joint broccoli hybrids that combine R&D Ag's
heat tolerant germplasm with Syngenta-developed germplasm and
technology. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Broccoli is a cool-weather crop restricted to specific geographical
production regions and planting seasons. The development of
heat-tolerant varieties may allow for expansion of the broccoli acreage,
increasing options for growers. Syngenta anticipates the first
commercial sales of these new broccoli hybrids in 2011.
The news release is available at http://www.syngenta.com/en/index.html
[Top]
Two Scientists Inducted into ARS Hall of Fame
Two Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists, Andrew L. Sharpley
and Robert E. Davis who exemplified the spirit of scientific excellence
and creativity with which ARS has served the nation and the agriculture
community will be honored for their achievements. Soil scientist
Sharpley pioneered the research on farm loss of phosphorous and nitrogen
through leaching and has been credited for spearheading the development
and refinement of the widely-used Phosphorous Index, a tool to identify
the risk of phosphorous loss from agricultural fields. He recommended
technical innovations which are widely adopted by regulatory resources
conservations agencies worldwide. Davis on the otherhand, is noted for
his pioneering work on spiroplasmas, a new type of microorganism that
cause diseases of crops and are harmful to beneficial insects and
species of crab and shrimp. His research necessitated a revision of
plant pathology textbooks and opened a new research frontier in
phytoplasmas - mystery pathogens.
See press release on the honorees at:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=1261
[Top]
Environmental Impact Statement Required for GM Alfalfa
The United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has asked the U.S.
Department of Agriculture to issue an environmental impact statement on
Monsanto's Roundup Ready alfalfa seeds which would have been planted
exclusively by Forage Genetics International. Monsanto will thus be
unable to plant or sell its seed until the environmental review is
submitted. The decision upholds an injunction issued by a district court
judge last year.
View the Scientific American article at
http://www.sciam.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=court-just-says-no--again----to-gen-2008-09-02
[Top]
World's First Synthetic Tree for Heat Transfer, Soil Remediation
The world's first synthetic tree was created in Abraham Stroock's lab at
Cornell University using a palm-sized clear, flexible hydrogel - similar
to that found in soft contact lens. The research published in Nature
confirms the theory that transpiration in trees and plants is a purely
physical process, not requiring biological energy. "The capillary action used in trees might be applicable to developing
new passive heat-transfer methods", Stroock said. More so, the principle
used in the synthetic tree may also be the mechanism in better soil
remediation systems such that instead of having to soak contaminated
soil to pump contaminants out, transpiration could help pull the
contaminated fluid out of the soil without the use of more liquid. For
dry areas, this technology could also be used to draw water out of
relatively dry soil without having to dig a well down to the water
table.
For more details on the science behind the synthetic tree see the
article at
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Sept08/stroock.trees.aj.html
[Top]
EPA Fines Syngenta for Pesticide Violation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has
reached a settlement that will have Syngenta Seeds Inc. pay $17, 750 in
fines for alleged violations of federal pesticide regulations. In a news
release, EPA says that it found pesticide worker protection violations
by the company at its Kekaha facility in Kauai, Hawaii. These violations
included failing to store all personal protective equipment separately
from clothing and apart from pesticide. The Agency also alleged that
Syngenta failed to properly post the spraying of the pesticide Liberty.
The settlement is part of three separate administrative complaints
totaling $284,050 in civil penalties with Syngenta Crop Protection,
Inc., and Syngenta Seeds, Inc., for violations of the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.
The news release is available at
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/fc1d7e992bda81d9852574bf005b97c2?
Asia and the Pacific
[Top]
China's US$3.5 Billion GM Crops Push
The Chinese government is expected to launch a US $3.5 billion, 13-year
research and development (R&D) initiative on genetically modified (GM)
crops. "The new initiative will spur commercialization of GM varieties,"
says Xue Dayuan, chief scientist on biodiversity at the Nanjing
Institute of Environmental Science of the Ministry of Environmental
Protection. Huang Dafang, former director of the Biotechnology Research
Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAS), on the
other hand, says that the major aim of the initiative is to help China
catch up with the West in the race to identify and patent plant genes of
great value.
China's leaders have stood firmly behind transgenic crops. "To solve the
food problem, we have to rely on big science and technology measures,
rely on biotechnology, and rely on GM," Premier Wen Jiabao told
academicians at the annual gathering of the CAS and the Chinese Academy
of Engineering last June.
Science magazine reports that although the official budget figure for
the initiative has not been released by the central government, half is
expected to come from local governments on whose land GM crops will be
grown and from agricultural biotechnology companies.
The full article is available at
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/321/5894/1279?ijkey=wa/cAo0qp xBlI&keytype=ref&siteid=sci
[Top]
China Gears Up for Biotech Amidst Concerns
China's strong pro-biotech policy as a result of Premier Wen Jiabao's
announcement of an additional US$3 billion in state support for the
development of agricultural biotechnology over the next 15 years
suggests that major crops may soon be permitted for planting. However,
concerns still need to be addressed with regards China's biotechnology
regulatory and approval system and its ability to evolve with changing
technology. This is a gist of China Biotechnology Update 2008 published
by Resource Investor in Beijing.
The report prepared by the U.S. Embassy in Beijing discusses
biotechnology trade and production, biotechnology policy, marketing
issues, and capacity building and outreach.
See the full report at
http://www.resourceinvestor.com/pebble.asp?relid=45975
[Top]
Vietnam Builds Biotechnology Research Center
Dong Nai, a southern province in Vietnam, has started the construction
of a Center for Biotechnology Application Research worth 530 billion VND
(US $31.8 million). The 200 ha center in Cam My district will carry out
research on biotechnology application to produce high-quality and
high-yield plant varieties and animal breeds. It will also develop
advanced biotechnologies to diagnose diseases, strategies for preventive
medicine, and environmental protection. The center will also help create
a link between research establishments, farmers and businesses.
In 2010, the initial infrastructure facilities will be completed which
will be used for the development of plant varieties and animal breeds
through biotechnology. By 2020, the center will develop a number of
biotechnology businesses to provide products and services for local and
foreign markets. The project is the first of its kind in Vietnam, paving
the way for the formation of a future biotechnology urban area. The
center, when completed, hopes to attract more than 10,000 scientists and
technicians.
For details, see the press release in Vietnamese at:
http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/266465/Default.aspx. For
biotechnology updates in Vietnam, contact Hien Le of the Vietnam BIC at: hientttm@yahoo.com
[Top]
India Develops Mustard Hybrid
Scientists of the National Research Centre on Rapeseed-Mustard in
Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India have developed a hybrid of Indian mustard
through heterosis breeding using the moricandia cytoplasmic genetic male
sterility system. Considered an important milestone in Brassica research
in the country, the hybrid is named NRC Sankar sarson (NRCHB 506).
Dr. K. H. Singh, senior scientist and key breeder, said the hybrid has
shown superior oil yield by a margin of about 26, and 20 percent over
existing popular varieties of the region in 11 trials across 5 states.
This hybrid is of medium maturity duration (133 days), medium in height
(190 cm) and has 40.6 per cent high oil content. It has shown wide
adaptability. Dr. Arvind Kumar, Director of the Mustard Center, under
the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, added that mustard is the
second most important oilseed crop in the country and is expected to
contribute to self sufficiency in the edible oils.
The full report is at http://www.icar.org.in/news/mustard_hybrid.htm
Europe
[Top]
Germany's KWS Completes Trials of GM Sugarbeets
KWS Saat Ag (KWS), an agriculture company based in Germany, has
completed research trials in six locations of genetically modified (GM)
sugarbeets which are tolerant to the herbicide Roundup Ready (r). The
trials were done to test the genetically modified sugarbeets in
different environments in Germany and their effects on the
agroecosystem. Questions on the agronomic and phenotypic features as
well as the mechanism of action of the integrated gene were dealt with
as well as the effects on non-target organisms such as insects.
Cultivation of the GM sugarbeets in the EU is projected by 2015 at the
earliest.
News about KWS in German is available at http://www.kws.com/ while an
English translation is provided by
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2008/september/23527.htm
http://www.kws.de/
Company profile of KWS in English is at
http://wrightreports.ecnext.com/coms2/reportdesc_COMPANY_C28036000
[Top]
EU Approves LibertyLink Soybean
The European Commission has approved Bayer CropScience's LibertyLink
soybeans (A 2704-12) for use in feed and food across its 27 nations for
the next 10 years. The glufosinate-resistant soybean, however, is not
intended to be grown in Europe's fields. The approval was made in the
effect of a legal default system that kicks in if the European Council
ministers fail to reach a consensus under the EU weighed voting system.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), EU's independent scientific
authority, found in August 2007 that the soybean "is unlikely to have
any adverse effect on human and animal health or on the environment".
LibertyLink soybeans have been fully approved for food, feed and
cultivation in the U.S. and Canada. Further import approvals have been
granted in Australia, China, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, South
Africa and Taiwan.
For more information, read
http://www.bayercropscience.com/BCSWeb/CropProtection.nsf/id/EN_20080910
[Top]
Notification to Field Test GM potato in Germany
A notification report has been published for the field trials of
genetically modified (GM) potato by the University of Rostock, Germany.
The field trial is designed to determine the frost and the frost
reaction of Cyanophycin-producing plants; influence of the winter season
on rotting of the GM potatoes; the potential accumulation of cyanophycin
in the soil; and the influence of rotting of cyanophycin-producing
potatoes in soil microbes.
The GM potatoes were modified to contain genes for PsbY-cphATe
(cyanophycin synthase) of T. elongates and npt II , thus producing
cyanophycin and are resistant against kanamycin. Cyanophycin are the
non-protein nitrogen storage polymer in cyanobacteria produced in times
of stress, except during nitrogen starvation.
See details of the notificaion report at
http://gmoinfo.jrc.ec.europa.eu/gmp_report.aspx?CurNot=B/DE/08/196
Research
Plant Genomes May Incorporate Agrobacterium Chromosomal DNA
Thirty years ago scientists found that the pathogenic soil bacterium
Agrobacterium tumefaciens is capable of interkingdom genetic transfer.
The crown gall-causing bacterium can integrate transfer DNA (T-DNA) on
the tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid into the genomes of most crops. Since
this discovery, Agrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer has been exploited
to introduce transgenes into plants and to transform other organisms
such as yeast, fungi and even human cells.
It has been well documented that part of the Ti plasmid outside the
T-DNA borders may be integrated into plant genomes. In a paper published
by Nature Biotechnology, Bekir Ulker and colleagues from the Max Planck
Institute for Plant Breeding Research and Bielefeld University in
Germany report that large (up to 18 kb) gene-bearing fragments of
Agrobacterium chromosomal DNA (AchrDNA) can also be integrated into
Arabidopsis genomic DNA during transformation.
The researchers analyzed databases that contain Arabidopsis-flanking
sequence tags (sequences found on both sides of T-DNA insertion sites).
They found that one in every 250 transgenic plants (0.4 percent) may
carry AchrDNA fragments. The discovery highlights the need for more
research to understand the mechanisms of horizontal gene flow through
bacteria in the evolution of higher organisms. It also indicates the
need for increased vigilance in testing for undesired bacterial DNA in
transgenic plants.
Subscribers can download the article at
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nbt.1491
Non subscribers can read the abstract
at
http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v26/n9/abs/nbt.1491.html.
[Top]
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Digestion of Bt Proteins by Slugs
Corinne Zurbrugg and Wolfgang Nentwig from Bern University in
Switzerland assessed the effects of Cry1Ab and Cry3Bb1 proteins from Bt
corn on two slug species to gauge the exposure of non-target predators
and decomposer organisms to the insecticidal toxins. Their work appears
in the recent issue of Transgenic Research.
The researchers measured Bt protein concentration in intestines and
feces of corn leaf-fed Arion lusitanicus (spanish slug) and Deroceras
reticulatum (grey field slug) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA) and determined how much of the ingested protein is excreted by
the slugs. Both Cry proteins were detectable in the intestines of both
species after having been fed with Bt corn for three days in a row. The
scientists also observed that after slugs had ceased feeding on Bt corn,
Cry1Ab was detectable in fresh slug feces for a significantly longer
time and often in higher amounts than the Cry3Bb1. The scientists,
however, found that there is no significant difference on the mortality
of European corn borer larvae fed with diet containing Bt corn exposed
slug feces.
The results indicate that both Cry1Ab and Cry3Bb1 are likely to be
transferred to higher trophic levels and to the decomposer food web,
albeit they have different transfer probabilities. Since the study was
conducted in a laboratory set-up, the scientists recommend further
examinations to be carried out, specifically on the potential adverse
effects of Bt proteins on slugs.
The paper is available at
http://www.springerlink.com/content/4716x157u8r4p5q6/fulltext.pdf
or
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11248-008-9208-1
Announcements
Call for Evidence: Biological Approaches to Enhance Food Crop Production
The Royal Society is launching a new study to undertake a balanced
assessment of the challenges to world food crop production and detail
the range of different biological approaches that could be used to
enhance yields in addition to their likely consequences and impacts.
Evidence is being sought particularly views of agriculturists,
bioscientists, academics, policy makers, industrialists and other
interested parties. The deadline for submission is 6 October 2008.
Evidence can be submitted electronically (preferred format) to sarah.mee@royalsociety.org or by post to Sarah Mee, Science Policy
Section, The Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG,
UK or by fax at +44(0)20 7451 2692. For more information, visit
http://royalsociety.org/page.asp?tip=1&id=7927
2009 International Conference on Horticulture
The 2009 International Conference on Horticulture, organized by Prem
Nath Agricultural Science Foundation (PNASF) and Vegetable Science
International Network (VEGINET), in collaboration with the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), will be conducted
on 9-12 November in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. With the theme,
Horticulture for Livelihood Security and Economic Growth, the conference
is designed to provide a common forum for all stakeholders to share
their experience and expertise so as to suggest much needed
technology-institution-policy package for sustainable production and
marketing of horticultural products.
For more information, visit http://www.pnasf.org/ich2009.htm
[Top]
Document Reminders
New Book on International Regimes and the Management of Crop Genetic
Resources
Fritdtjof Nansen Institute (FNI) Senior Research Fellow Regine Andersen
has recently published a book that provides the first comprehensive
analysis of how the international agreements pertaining to crop genetic
resources affect the management of these vital resources for food
security and poverty eradication in developing countries. The book
analyses the international regimes and their interaction, traces the
driving forces across scales and the effects in developing countries. It
identifies entry points to shape a better governance of
agrobiodiversity.
To learn more about the book and how it can be accessed see
http://www.fni.no/news/080909.html
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