[searcabic] Latest news postings on biotechnology, 04 August 2008

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*Posted 04 August 2008*

*PHILIPPINES*
1-GM CROPS PROVIDE KEY TO GREENING BARREN LANDS
2-AGRI RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGHS NEED SUPPORT
3-ICRISAT EARNS SECOND 'OUTSTANDING' RATING

*VIETNAM*
4-VIETNAM TO ALLOW GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS TO REDUCE IMPORTS

*THAILAND*
5-COURT THROWS OUT GREENPEACECASE AGAINST GMO PAPAYA TRIAL

*JAPAN*
6-MONSANTO TO PROMOTE GM SOYBEANS IN JAPAN


*1-GM CROPS PROVIDE KEY TO GREENING BARREN LANDS*
by Rudy A. Fernandez
27-July-2008 The Philippine STAR

Once lahar-mantled, now lush greenfields.

Barren hills once upon a recent time, now lush corn farms.

Open fields that used to reek of the acrid smell of toxic pesticides, now
wafted by fresh, healthful air.

The friendly insects are back too, helping Mr. Farmer control the insects
that have been attacking his cornfields.

These are some of the magical transformations in many areas in the
countryside, thanks to Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn.

Bt is a bacterium that naturally occurs in soil. Through biotechnology or
genetic engineering, a specific Bt gene has been inserted in the corn
variety.

Bt corn produces its natural pesticide against the Asian corn borer. One of
the most destructive pests attacking corn in Asia, including the
Philippines.

For almost a decade now, the new genetically modified (GM) corn variety has
excited the interest of many Filipino farmers because of its high yield and
resistance to the dread corn borer.

Take the farmers of Barangay Anao in Mexico, Pampanga.

Following Mt. Pinatubo's eruption in 1992, the village's farms were covered
with lahar. But Bt corn brought back greenery to the landscape.

When we visited Anao two years ago, we learned that almost all its farmers
were already planting the transgenic crop.

A barangay leader had told us that GM corn yield as much as 10 tons per
hectare, or three or more times the yield of ordinary varieties.

In one cropping season (more than three months), a farmer using the biotech
crop can earn as much as P100,000. Another said he could now send his
children to college because of the bountiful harvest from Bt corn.

About 95 percent of the barangay's farmers are now planting biotech corn,
Anao outstanding farmer Carlos Guevarra recently told Sonny Tababa,
coordinator of the Los Baños-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for
Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture-Biotechnology Information Center
(SEARCA-BIC).

Many farmers in Iloilo also have a success story to tell: Their Northern
Iloilo Corn Producers Association Inc. (NICPAI) won the PLEDGE, the highest
international award given by Monsanto, a global agriculture corporation, to
outstanding projects in agriculture.

NICPAI's "From Grassland to Corn Land" saga bested 197 other entries to get
the Judges' Choice Award and $20,000 cash prize.

The farmers' group started in 2005 as the Sara Corn Financiers' Association
organized by youthful farmer-leader Delson Sonza of Sara town.

Before, many farmers in northern Iloilo could hardly eat three meals day.
Their lives have improved considerably since they turned to GM corn.

"With biotech corn farming, families without a carabao and other farm
implements can now cultivate their grasslands which were converted into corn
lands," Sonza told journalists at a science forum held recently in Makati
City.

Monsanto, assisted by NICPAI, had earlier introduced the zero and minimum
tillage technologies to the farmers. In just three years, the area covered
by GM corn significantly increased from 800 hectares to 9,300 ha.

Now, Sonza said, the farmers can afford to buy home appliances, vehicles,
and postharvest facilities. "The families can now send their children to
school and provide well for their needs."

In view of the strides achieved in GM crop production, the area devoted to
biotech corn continues to expand, noted Dr. Randy Hautea, global coordinator
of the International Services for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech
Applications (ISAAA).

As of 2007, about 300,000 hectares had been planted to transgenic corn in
the Philippines, he reported at a recent media forum in Los Baños jointly
sponsored by ISAAA, SEARCA-BIC, US Agency for International Development
(USAID), and Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural
Resources Research and Development (PCARRD).

The country is now the world's 10th biggest grower of GM crops, thus,
joining the ranks of biotech "mega-countries" (those planting biotech crops
in 50,000 ha or more).

*------------------------------------------------------------*
*2-AGRI RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGHS NEED SUPPORT*
01-August-2008 Malaya <http://www.malaya.com.ph/aug01/agri3.htm>

Director Alicia Ilaga of the Biotech Program Office of the Department of
Agriculture (DA) has called for more incentives for biotechnologists who
have developed high-yielding and pest-resistant crops.

Ilaga said researchers deserve to be rewarded for their scientific work and
noted that this is consistent with the findings of a study done by the
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in cooperation with
Sikap/Strife Foundation.

She added that these researchers have been working with the Department of
Agriculture (DA) for the development of agricultural biotechnology products
and their protection and commercialization.

According to the study, majority of the respondents believe that research
and development (R&D) results should be commercialized and made public.

A few, however, expressed fear on the effects of biotech products on health
and environment.

The researchers who answered in the affirmative say that private
commercialization would solve the country's problem on food insufficiency,
unemployment and poverty, and would provide faster dissemination of
products/technologies to the public.

Moreover, they agree that biotech products would be useless if not
commercialized. A small group, however, fears the negative effects of
biotechnology on health and the environment. They also express concern about
public sector R&D institutions taking profit from products that were
initially funded by the state.

Intellectual property rights (IPR) also plays a key role to the planned
commercialization. The scientists express concern on how the rights of the
researchers and developers would be protected if their products were
commercialized.

*------------------------------------------------------------*
*3-ICRISAT EARNS SECOND 'OUTSTANDING' RATING*
28-July-2008 BusinessMirror

THE India-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid
Tropics (ICRISAT)—which has a Filipino scientist at its helm—has been rated
"outstanding" for the second year in a row by the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

The "outstanding" rating, based on the performance-linked measurements of
CGIAR, recognizes ICRISAT's good science, great impacts and institutional
and financial health.

It places ICRISAT's performance on top of the 15 international
agricultural-research institutes that are members of the CGIAR.

ICRISAT director general Dr. William D. Dar—a former secretary of the
Philippines' Department of Agriculture—said the second consecutive
"outstanding" rating is a manifestation that ICRISAT is in tune with the
changing institutional context and task environment in pursuing its mission
of helping bring about propoor growth and sustainable development in the
semi-arid tropics of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr. Dar dedicated ICRISAT's success to the poor farmers and poor people in
the dry tropics of the world.

"Our commitment to delivering results that are profound and superior led to
this reward," he said.

Dar has been the institute's director general since January 2000.

ICRISAT is pursuing holistic integrated genetic and natural-resources
management approach as its overarching research strategy to attain
scientific excellence and relevance in agriculture through its mandate
crops: sorghum, millet, groundnut (peanut), chickpea and pigeonpea.

It has research projects in the Philippines involving groundnut, sweet
sorghum (for biofuel, food, feeds and forage), chickpea (garbanzos) and
pigeonpea (kadyos).

Under Dr. Dar's leadership, ICRISAT also won other CGIAR recognitions of
excellence such as:

# Two King Baudouin awards (2002 and 2004)

# One CGIAR Best Scientist award (2002)

# Two Promising Young Scientist awards (2003 and 2004), and

# Superior Rating in 2003

The CGIAR Performance Measurement (PM) System is an annual feature in the
CGIAR monitoring and evaluation system. Performance is measured along three
dimensions—results, potential to perform and stakeholder perceptions. The PM
system provides CGIAR centers with a method to better understand their own
performance and demonstrate accountability.

It is also used as an input in CGIAR-member fund-allocation decisions. The
present assessment on ICRISAT results in an additional $1.10-million annual
allocation from the World Bank over the base allocation of $0.98 million,
giving ICRISAT a total of $2.08 million. The World Bank is one of the donors
of ICRISAT.

Since 2000, ICRISAT has been able to steadily strengthen its ability to
increase donor funding for the institute. In the last five years, it has
consistently registered a budgetary surplus. Its gross revenue grew from
$24.2 million in 2003 to $42.1 million in 2007.

The significant indicators that contributed to ICRISAT's outstanding rating
are:

1. Results—outputs, outcomand impact:

# Output targets achieved: 98 percent (49 out of 50)

# Outcomes assessment: 7.80 (scale 1-10)

# Center commitment to document impacts: 7.30 (scale 1-10)

# Overall impact assessment performance: 8.55 (scale 1-10)

2. Potential to perform—quality and relevance of research:

# Peer-reviewed publications: 3.10 per scientist

# Publications with developed country partners: 49 percent

3. Institutional health—governance, culture of learning and change,
diversity; and financial health—short-term solvency, long-term financial
stability and efficiency of operations:

# Short-term solvency (liquidity) in days: 206 (range 90-120)

# Long-term financial stability in days: 148 (range 75-90)

# Efficiency of operations (indirect cost ratio): 23 (out of 30)

*(ICRISAT/PSciJourn News Service)*

*------------------------------------------------------------*
*4-VIETNAM TO ALLOW GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS TO REDUCE IMPORTS*
03-August-2008 Thanh Nien
Daily<http://www.google.com.ph/search?hl=tl&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=a4U&q=%22Vietnam%2Bto%2Ballow%2Bgenetically%2Bmodified%2Bcrops%2Bto%2B>

Vietnam is aiming for "massive production" of genetically modified (GM)
crops to reduce imports of soybeans, corn and cotton.

Development of GM crops may reduce the nation's dependence on imports,
helping to narrow the trade deficit and calm concerns about economic
stability.

Increases in food prices have spurred inflation of 27 percent, the fastest
since at least 1992.

"Vietnam plans to allow massive production of GM crops after 2010," Pham Van
Toan, Hanoi-based head of the general office at the agriculture ministry's
Science and Technology Department, said.

The country approved in 2005 the program to cut agricultural imports, he
said.

The agricultural attaché's office at the US embassy in Hanoi said in a
report the authorities have completed a draft of a law that will allow such
crops.

A National Assembly session in October is expected to approve the law,
Vietnam News Agency reported.

Bui Thi Huong, an agricultural specialist at the embassy, said in the
report: "Vietnam remains keen to produce genetically modified crops,
particularly soybeans, corn and cotton, to reduce the dependence on import
of these key commodities."

Vietnam was Asia's biggest importer of soybean meal, which is used primarily
for animal feed, along with Indonesia last year.

It shipped in 2.4 million tons, according to data from the Foreign
Agricultural Service.

Vietnam also imported 750,000 tons of corn, the FAS said.

*Dependence on imports*
The country is dependent on imports of soybeans, corn and cotton for its
"large feed and textile industries," Huong said.

Cotton imports rose 26 percent to 170,000 tons in the seven months through
July, according to the General Statistics Office.

Cotton is used by the garment industry to manufacture clothes, the country's
second-biggest export after crude oil.

The trade shortfall widened in the seven months through July to US$15
billion, or more than in all of 2007.

The deficit in the same period last year was $6.3 billion.

Imports rose 57 percent, slowing from 62 percent growth in the first half.

Toan said the Science and Technology Department has not issued any
guidelines to ensure GM crops are safe for mass production.

Delays in approving regulations mean the 2010 target is unlikely to be met,
according to the US report.

Vietnam aims for GM crops to account for about 70 percent of production by
2020, the report said.

"Under this plan, Vietnam expects to create new plant varieties, animal
breeds and biotech products through application of biotechnology, so as to
enhance the competitiveness of its agricultural and fishery products," Huong
wrote. Bloomberg

*------------------------------------------------------------*
*5-COURT THROWS OUT GREENPEACE CASE AGAINST GMO PAPAYA TRIAL*
by King-Oua Laohong
31-July-2008 Bangkok Post<http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/viewer.aspx>

Greenpeace lost its case against the growing of genetically engineered
papaya yesterday, with the Central Administrative Court finding the
Department of Agriculture (DOA) not guilty of negligence in its management
of field trials. It was the first trial in Thailand involving genetically
modified organisms (GMOs).

In 2006, Greenpeace sued the DOA, accusing it of negligence in field trials
of GM papayas that resulted in large-scale contamination of neighbouring
papaya farms.

The lawsuit was based on Greenpeace's finding in 2004 that the DOA's
experimental GM papaya plantation in Khon Kaen, situated on land surrounded
by a barbed-wire fence, had contaminated other papaya plantations.

The papaya strain is genetically engineered to make it resistant to ringspot
virus, which causes damage to papaya crops in Thailand.

In 2003 the department distributed trees and seeds of the GM papaya variety
to 2,669 farmers in 37 provinces.

A series of tests conducted separately by Greenpeace and the National Human
Rights Commission revealed GM papaya contaminated fields as far as the
provinces of Rayong, Kamphaeng Phet, Kalasin, Chaiyaphum, Maha Sarakham and
Ubon Ratchathani.

The group asked the court to revoke the department's permission to conduct
closed- and open-field trials of GM papaya crops and to order a
reexamination of the fields of farmers receiving the GM seeds.

The court found the DOA and its chief not guilty of issuing unlawful orders
and not guilty of negligence causing serious genetic contamination of native
papaya varieties, as claimed by the plaintiff.

The court ruled that the department followed the necessary legal steps to
prevent contamination, including stopping distributing GM papaya seeds and
destroying all papaya trees in affected plantations.

Inspections of major fruit markets and fruit orchards found no GM papaya on
sale. There was no evidence to prove any contamination actually happened,
the court said.

The court dismissed the case and gave Greenpeace 30 days to appeal to the
Supreme Administrative Court.

Greenpeace filed an appeal immediately after the court verdict.

''We strongly believe that the DOA is guilty of negligence for causing
serious GMO contamination of the Thai papaya species,'' said Natwipha
Ewasakul, a Greenpeace campaigner.

''The DOA's acquittal despite its failure to submit comprehensive data on
the steps taken to contain GMO contamination, from field trials five years
ago, clearly indicated the general lack of access of government authorities
to information about both experimental and commercially available
genetically engineered crops.''

Department of Agriculture chief Metanee Sukontarug was confident the appeal
would fail.

The department would continue its GM research and development, but only in a
laboratory as required by cabinet's resolution. ''Any field trials must be
discussed with the local community, a public hearing must be held, and a
proposal then put to cabinet.''

*------------------------------------------------------------*
*6-MONSANTO TO PROMOTE GM SOYBEANS IN JAPAN*
31-July-2008 Japan's Corporate News
Network<http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=19256>

Monsanto Co., the world's leading producer of genetically modified seeds,
hopes that value-added soybeans - now in its research pipeline - will help
underscore the benefits of GM foods among Japanese consumers and soften
their resistance to such food.

"Knowing how important soybeans are in the Japanese diet, I see real
opportunity in GM soybeans for Japanese consumers," said Kim Magin Sutter,
Monsanto's Director of Global Oilseed Industry Affairs.

Soybeans with enhanced health advantages are currently under development at
a Monsanto lab in St. Louis, Missouri.

The company's researchers are trying to create soybeans containing omega-3
fatty acids and less than half the proportion of saturated fatty acids,
Sutter noted. These re-engineered soybeans are expected to be more effective
than naturally grown soybeans in cutting neutral lipid and bad cholesterol
in the blood.

Sutter, who visited Japan to meet industry stakeholders, believes there is
only a limited potential market for the firm's core seed lineup, because
corn, soybeans, and cotton are mostly imported and not grown on a large
scale in Japan.

If Japanese farmers are prepared to grow GM soybeans, "We would absolutely
evaluate that opportunity," Sutter said.

Sutter pointed out that promoting an understanding about the benefits of
genetic recombination is one of the important aspects in raising consumer
acceptance.

The Japanese government has approved the safety of GM corn, soybeans and
five other crops, but a government survey carried out last year revealed
that 71% of respondents said they felt concerned about GM crops. As long as
consumers are against re-engineered crops, Japanese food producers are
unwilling to use them on a large scale.

Meanwhile, Sutter dismissed the argument that a few global agricultural
majors are trying to control the world's seed market by dominating patents
on GM technology.

It is up to the farmers to decide which seeds to plant on their farms,
Sutter stressed. "They are going to pick what brings them the most yields."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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*Rural poverty and agriculture in Asia-Pacific, focus of
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*Biodiversity and Food
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*Research exclusively for
scientists?*<http://www.searca.org/web/news/2008/jul/web/14.html>

*---------------------------------------------------------*
*Download available paper and/or presentation handouts of some notable
speakers presented at SEARCA Agriculture and Development Series. CLICK HERE.
* <http://www.searca.org/web/adss/2007/index.html>

*SEARCA ADSS: Knowledge for Poverty Alleviation* <http://www.searca.org/>
*by Dr. Serafin D. Talisayon
SEARCA, College, Laguna, Philippines
05 August 2008, 4:00 - 5:00 PM*

*The 4th Indonesian Biotechnology Conference*<http://www.biotechindonesia.org/>
*IPB International Convention Centre, Bogor, Indonesia
5-7 August 2008*

*IRRI SEMINAR: Making the Philippines rice self-sufficient: the role of IRRI
*
*by Dr. Leocadio S. Sebastian
IRRI, Los Baños, Laguna
07 August 2007, 1:15 - 2:15 PM *

*Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference
2008*<http://www.abic.ca/abic2008/index.html%20>
*University College Cork, Ireland
24 - 27 August 2008*

*---------------------------------------------------------

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*---------------------------------------------------------

Download presentation on "Biotech Crops? What's Next?" by Dr. Randy Hautea,
ISAAA Global Coordinator and SEAsia Center Director, in PDF
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