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Crop Biotech Update 11 June, 2004
11-Jun-2004=20
International Service For The Acquisition Of Agri-Biotech = Applications=20 SEAsia Center And CAB International

CropBiotech Update=20

A weekly summary of world = developments in=20 agri-biotech for developing countries, produced by the = Global=20 Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology, International Service for the = Acquisition of=20 Agri-biotech Applications SEAsiaCenter = (ISAAA), and AgBiotechNet=20

June=20 11, 2004

In This Issue:

3D""=20 China All = Out on GM=20 Rice 3D""=20 Impt of = the Cultural=20 Context in Science Comm

3D""=20 Philippine = DA Awards=20 Outstanding Bt Corn Farmers 3D""=20 New Role = for=20 Scientists

3D""=20 A Resurvey = of Farmers=20 and Growers' Acceptance of = GM 3D""=20 Announcements:

3D""=20 Rice = Technology vs=20 Malnutrition 3D""=20 First = Int'l Agricultural=20 Virtual Trade Show and = Exhibit

3D""=20 Plant = Bioinformatics=20 Expand Applications 3D""=20 New = Article on=20 Biodiversity

3D""=20 Insights = on Selling=20 Biotechnology 3D""=20

CHINA ALL OUT ON GM = RICE=20
China's fear of = being unable=20 to produce enough rice to meet domestic demand = may impel=20 the country to become the first in the world to = approve=20 genetically modified (GM) rice. In an article in = the=20 journal Nature, Hepeng Jia, K.S. Jayaraman and = Sabine=20 Louet noted that China has increased its budget = for=20 research and field trials of GM rice since 2001. = Its=20 biotech budget for 2001-2005 is $1.2 billion, a = 400%=20 increase compared with 1996-2000. About $120 = million out=20 of the current budget is devoted to GM rice = programs.=20
Jia and = colleagues reported=20 that Chinese researchers have developed several = GM rice=20 varieties that are resistant to the country's = major rice=20 pests and diseases, such as the stem borer, = bacteria=20 blight, rice blast fungus and rice dwarf virus.=20 Significant progress has also been made with = drought-=20 and salt-tolerant varieties of GM rice, which = have been=20 in field trials since 1998.
The article = quoted Jikun=20 Huang, director of the Center for Chinese = Agricultural=20 Policy in Beijing, as saying that the government = thinks=20 that high-output and insect-resistant GM rice = varieties=20 may help solve the country's supply problem. =
For the full = article online=20 see http://www.nature.com/
cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=3D/nbt/journ= al/v22/n6/full/
nbt0604-642.html.=20

PHILIPPINE DA = AWARDS=20 OUTSTANDING BT CORN FARMERS=20
Carlos Guevarra, = a farmer=20 from Pampanga, Philippines harvested a record = yield of=20 10.25 metric tons per hectare from planting a=20 biotech-enhanced corn variety during the last = cropping=20 season. Similarly, Carmelo Dinopol from South = Cotabato=20 also harvested about 10 metric tons in contrast = to only=20 6.5 to 7 metric tons per hectare from his = previous=20 harvests. Both farmers realized significant = increases in=20 income with Guevarra being able to buy a vehicle = to=20 transport his products to direct buyers.=20
Guevarra and = Dinopol are two=20 of the six Bt corn farmers who were given = plaques of=20 recognition by Luis Lorenzo, Jr., Secretary of = the=20 Philippines' Department of Agriculture during = the=20 celebration of the Farmer and Fisherfolk Month. = Lorenzo=20 lauded the farmers for being open to new = technologies=20 noting that they are helping the country attain=20 self-sufficiency in corn production. The event = coincided=20 with a corn technology fair which showcased=20 organizations supporting corn production as well = as=20 demonstrations on using corn waste materials. =
The awarding = ceremony was=20 co-sponsored by CropLife Philippines, an = association of=20 seed companies.

A RESURVEY OF FARMERS = AND GROWERS'=20 ACCEPTANCE OF GM=20
A study conducted = by Andrew=20 J. Cook and John R. Fairweather, of Lincoln = University,=20 New Zealand, entitled "New Zealand Farmer and = Grower=20 Intentions to Use Gene Technology: Results from = a=20 Resurvey," examined the changes in the = intentions,=20 attitudes, and beliefs of farmers and growers in = New=20 Zealand regarding their use of biotechnology. = Intentions=20 to use gene technology, attitudes towards using = gene=20 technology, and beliefs about market acceptance, = commercial viability, and environmental risk = from using=20 the technology were gathered and compared = against=20 similar surveys conducted in previous = years.=20
According to Cook = and=20 Fairweather, farmers and growers appear to be no = more=20 accepting or rejecting of gene technology than = they were=20 two years ago. However, fewer farmers and = growers have=20 agreed that New Zealand should become free of=20 genetically modified (GM) crops. Further, = farmers and=20 growers deciding that risks to public health or = personal=20 health, damage to ecological systems, and = adverse=20 effects on future generations were unlikely, = would have=20 more favorable attitudes and intentions.
The authors, = likewise,=20 enumerated three conditional factors that should = be=20 addressed for gene technology to be accepted. = These=20 were:
Farmers and = growers must be=20 convinced that the risks (damage to ecological = systems,=20 adverse effects on future generations, personal = risk,=20 and risks to public health) are acceptable. =
The marketplace = and=20 consumers must be accepting of the use of GM = technology=20 in agricultural production.
Financial = rewards from=20 either efficiency in production or better = returns for=20 produce must be evident.
Read the full = research paper=20 at http://www.agbioforum.org/
v6n3/v6n3a05-cook.htm.=20

RICE = TECHNOLOGY VS=20 MALNUTRITION=20
"A large number = of people=20 living in predominantly rice-eating countries = suffer=20 from various forms of malnutrition. = Understanding the=20 causes of malnutrition is the only way to bring = about=20 sustained improvements in overall health and = well-being.=20 Current advances in rice technology may be able = to=20 alleviate the severe malnutrition currently = experienced.=20 These advances must also be accompanied by = actions which=20 alleviate the core causes of malnutrition, = namely,=20 improvements in health care, sanitation and = hygiene and=20 education," says G. Kennedy, Consultant; B. = Burlingame,=20 Senior Officer, Nutrition Planning, Assessment = and=20 Evaluation Service; and V.N. Nguyen, = Agricultural=20 Officer, Crop and Grassland Service; of the Food = and=20 Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, = Italy.=20
According to = Kennedy and=20 colleagues, rice is a rich source of = carbohydrates and=20 vitamin B, and with recent technological = breakthroughs,=20 rice may now have the potential to also supply = other=20 needed nutrients. However, the authors stressed = that=20 caution should be observed when promoting any = single=20 food source. A particular food product, no = matter how=20 extensively modified, may not be able to provide = all the=20 necessary nutrients required. Supplements, like = vitamins=20 and minerals, are still needed.=20
The authors also = added that=20 both agriculture and nutrition scientists should = work=20 towards understanding the ways in which nutrient = composition is affected, and how to optimize the = nutrient composition of products.=20
The report = entitled=20 "Nutritional contribution of rice and impact of=20 biotechnology and biodiversity in rice-consuming = countries" can be downloaded at http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/006/Y4751E/
y4751e05.htm#bm05=20

PLANT = BIOINFORMATICS EXPAND=20 APPLICATIONS=20
Advances in = genomic=20 technologies have led to an explosion of data = and in the=20 growth of the science of bioinformatics. More = complex=20 data integration across the '-omic' platforms = with a=20 direct link to traditional genetics are now = required.=20 Hence, bioinformatics is being challenged to = integrate=20 the carried data generated by the expanding = -omic=20 technologies. This was stressed by Australian=20 researchers David Edwards and Jacqueline Batley = in an=20 article published in the journal Trends in=20 Biotechnology.=20
Edwards and = Batley said that=20 linking gene expression, protein sequence and = protein=20 structure data with genetic and physical map = data will=20 integrate genetics, genomics, transcriptomics = and=20 proteomics. The incorporation of metabolomic = data and=20 data from phenotype studies will create the = foundation=20 for advanced knowledge bases, thus facilitating = queries=20 across whole-systems biology.
Read the full = article=20 entitled "Plant bioinformatics: From genome to = phenome"=20 in the Volume 22, No. 5 May 2004 issue of Trends = in=20 Biotechnology. The full text is provided at = http://www.sciencedirect.com. Contact David Edwards at = his email=20 address: dave.edwards@dpi.vic.gov.au.=20

INSIGHTS ON = SELLING=20 BIOTECHNOLOGY=20
Media = representations play a=20 crucial role in framing public understanding of = science.=20 Hence, the need to do more research on the = source,=20 impact and nature of media representations as = well as=20 long-term policy implications of the 'selling of = the=20 science.' This view was forwarded by Timothy = Caulfield=20 of the University of Alberta, Canada.=20
Caulfield noted = that the=20 popular media is an important source of = scientific=20 information and is often thought about as = providing=20 inaccurate information. However, he said that = the hyping=20 of research results in the popular media "might = be part=20 of a more systematic problem associated with the = increasingly commercial nature of the research=20 environment." Researchers and research = institutions, for=20 example, are pressured to justify in terms of=20 near-future economic benefits.
The article = "Biotechnology=20 and the popular press: Hype and the selling of = science"=20 published in the journal Trends in Biotechnology = concluded by saying that governments should = consider the=20 development of a system that enables both the=20 independent assessment of new technologies and = the=20 communication of accurate and trustworthy = information.=20
Contact Timothy = Caulfield at=20 tcaulfld@law.ualberta.ca.=20

IMPT OF THE = CULTURAL=20 CONTEXT IN SCIENCE COMM=20
Last week, the = eighth=20 international conference on the Public = Communication of=20 Science and Technology (PCST-8) was held in = Barcelona,=20 Spain. Attended by 650 delegates from 50 = countries, the=20 conference highlighted the importance of = understanding=20 cultural values, and respecting traditional = knowledge to=20 successfully communicate science. Some of the = delegates=20 urged the scientists, journalists and others = involved in=20 the communication of science to take account of = cultural=20 factors and local knowledge in their work. = Another issue=20 tackled was on how to effectively communicate = science in=20 the local languages.
Says Yuwanuch = Tinnaluck of=20 the ASEAN Handicrafts Promotion and Development=20 Association, in Bangkok, Thailand, "science and = local=20 knowledge are not that far away from one = another. We=20 need to share space and time between scientists = and=20 indigenous people." She added that scientists = should=20 work together with local people to 'co-create'=20 knowledge.=20
Further, Patrick = Luganda,=20 chairman, Network of Climate Journalists in the = Greater=20 Horn of Africa, stressed that an appreciation of = traditional knowledge is essential for science = to be=20 communicated successfully. "The message will be = better=20 understood and better appreciated if you have an = understanding of local knowledge. The messages = (often)=20 get diluted as the information gets passed on," = says=20 Luganda.=20
See the article = from=20 SciDevNet entitled "Science communicators 'must = respect=20 cultural context" at http://www.scidev.net/
news/index.cfm?fuseaction=3Dreadnews&a= mp;itemid=3D1417&language=3D1=20

NEW ROLE FOR = SCIENTISTS=20
Until recently, = scientists'=20 major role was to simply acquire knowledge. Now, = it must=20 also be to transfer knowledge to society. This = idea was=20 stressed by Leroy Hood, Biotechnology Heritage = Award=20 winner, during the Industry Pioneers plenary = session at=20 BIO 2004. He noted that public acceptance will = also be=20 key to scientific and product advances.=20
The five-day = international=20 biotechnology conference ended June 9 in San = Francisco=20 which attracted 16,901 delegates from 61 = countries. More=20 than 50 high-level officials from at least 15 = countries=20 outside the United States attended the=20 convention.=20
BIO represents = more than=20 1,000 biotechnology companies, academic = institutions,=20 state biotechnology centers and related = organizations.=20 Members are involved in the research and = development of=20 health-care, agricultural, industrial and = environmental=20 biotechnology products.=20
For more = information on the=20 Bio Conference, visit http://www.bio.org/events/2004=20

ANNOUNCEMENTS=20
FIRST = INT'L=20 AGRICULTURAL VIRTUAL TRADE SHOW AND = EXHIBIT=20
AHead Business = Solutions Ltd=20 is sponsoring the first international = agricultural trade=20 show and exhibit via the internet starting July = 15 until=20 October 15, 2004. This event is considered to be = the=20 leading online resource event for manufacturers = in the=20 different sectors of agriculture, such as: = irrigation,=20 agricultural machinery, fertilizers, pesticides = and=20 insecticides, greenhouses, research, packaging, = organic=20 agriculture, seeds, projects management, fishing = and=20 gardening. For more information, visit http://www.agriahead.com.=20

NEW = ARTICLE ON=20 BIODIVERSITY=20
The abstract of a = new biotech=20 article published in the European Review of = Agricultural=20 Biotechnology is available online at http://erae.oupjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/31/1/1. Entitled "Biodiversity = versus=20 transgenic sugar beet: the one euro question," = and=20 authored by Matty Demont, Katholieke = Universiteit=20 Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Justus Wesseler, = Wageningen=20 University, Wageningen, The Netherlands; and = Eric=20 Tollens, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, = Belgium; the publication analyzed the case of=20 herbicide-tolerant sugar beet in light of = whether the=20 European Union (EU's) 1998 de facto moratorium = on=20 transgenic crops for sugar beet is a valid = decision from=20 a cost-benefit perspective.
DOCUMENT = REMINDER=20
NEW POCKET=20 K: 'OMICS' SCIENCES=20
Learn more about = the 'omics'=20 sciences by downloading the latest Pocket = Knowledge (K)=20 from the International Service for the = Acquisition of=20 Agri-biotech Application (ISAAA) Global = Knowledge Center=20 for Crop Biotechnology at http://www.isaaa.org/kc.=20

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