From searcabic at gmail.com Sat Mar 6 07:58:41 2010 From: searcabic at gmail.com (SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center) Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2010 07:58:41 +0800 Subject: [searcabic] Latest news postings in biotechnology, 06 March 2010 Message-ID: Right click images to view this page properly. If this e-mail does not appear as a web page, please click here. *Posted 06 March 2010* *GLOBAL* 1-ISAAA: PREDICTED SECOND WAVE OF BIOTECH GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT BEGINS *PHILIPPINES* 2-PHILIPPINES REMAINS AT THE FOREFRONT OF BIOTECH ADOPTION IN ASIA 3-NATIONAL SCIENTIST CITES NEED FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY 4-AREAS PLANTED TO ?Bt? CORN 14% WIDER 5-HIGH-YIELD CORN EXPANSION TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE OF EL NI?O 6-AREA PLANTED WITH BT CORN SEEN TO HAVE FALLEN SHORT 7-RP AMONG COUNTRIES WITH GROWING BIOTECH CROP SHARE *CHINA* 8-CHINA ?Bt? RICE OK TO BOOST SUPPLY 9-CHINA ON WAY TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN RICE, CORN *1-ISAAA: PREDICTED SECOND WAVE OF BIOTECH GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT BEGINS Developing countries recognize biotechnology as a key to food self-sufficiency and prosperity *23-February-2010 ISAAA Press Release BEIJING, CHINA (Feb. 23, 2010) ? Last year, ISAAA predicted biotech crops were poised for a new wave of growth. Substantial gains have already been made in 2009 that are starting to bring that prediction to fruition. With 14 years of regulatory experience, growth can be accelerated moving forward. One of the most significant advances in 2009 included a landmark November decision by China issuing biosafety certificates for biotech insect-resistant rice and phytase maize. As rice is the most important food crop globally, feeding half of humanity, and maize is the most important feed crop in the world, these biosafety clearances can have enormous implications for future biotech crop adoption in China, Asia, and around the world. The crops must complete 2 to 3 years of standard registration field trials prior to commercialization. ?With last year?s food crisis, price spikes, and hunger and malnutrition afflicting more than 1 billion people for the first time ever, there has been a global shift from efforts for just food security to food self-sufficiency,? said Clive James, chairman and founder of ISAAA. ?With a current population of 1.3 billion, biotech crops are a critical component for China and other countries to gain self-sufficiency.? As the largest rice producing country, China suffers significant losses from rice borer. Bt rice has the potential to increase yields up to 8 percent, decrease pesticide use by 80 percent (17 kg/ha) and generate US$4 billion in benefits annually. ?This would have a direct and extensive increase on the prosperity of about 440 million Chinese who rely on rice production,? said Dr. Dafang Huang, former director at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. ?With hundreds of millions of small farmers in our country, biotech crops can serve as an engine for agricultural economic growth and bring prosperity to these small farmers.? China is also the second largest maize producer in the world, with about 100 million farmers growing 30 million hectares of the grain. Increasing prosperity in the country is creating an increased demand for animal protein, making maize a key resource. The improved phytase maize will allow China?s 500 million pigs and 13 billion chickens and other poultry to more easily digest phosphate, improving the animal?s growth and reducing the amount of the nutrient excreted. Currently, phosphate must be purchased and added to feed, and it contributes to environmental pollution. ?China?s global leadership in approving biotech rice and maize will likely become a positive role model and influence acceptance and speed of biotech food and feed crop adoption throughout Asia and globally,? James said. China is just one of 16 developing countries that grew biotech crops in 2009. Growth of biotech crops has been substantially higher in developing nations ? 13 percent or 7 million hectares in 2009 compared to just 3 percent or 2 million hectares in industrialized countries. As a result, almost half (46 percent) of the global hectarage of biotech crops were planted in developing countries, where 13 million small farmers benefitted. ?This strong adoption puts to rest the idea that biotech crops can only benefit larger farmers and industrialized countries,? Huang said. ?In fact, countries like China, with hundreds of millions of small farmers, have identified biotech crops as a key to self-sufficiency to make it less dependent on others for food, feed, and fiber.? During 2009 there was a noticeable growth in appreciation for the essential role of agriculture by global society. In fact, the G8 recently approved US$20 billion over three years ?to help farmers in the poorest nations improve food production and help the poor feed themselves.? The late Norman Borlaug, founding patron of ISAAA and to whom this year?s report is dedicated also recognized this need. He stated that, ?what we need is courage by the leaders of those countries where farmers still have no choice but to use older and less effective methods. The Green Revolution and now plant biotechnology are helping meet the growing demand for food production, while preserving our environment for future generations.? *2009 Key Highlights* In 2009, 14 million farmers planted 134 million hectares (330 million acres) of biotech crops in 25 countries, up from 13.3 million farmers and 125 million hectares (7 percent) in 2008. Notably, in 2009, 13 of the 14 million farmers, or 90 percent, were small and resource-poor farmers from developing countries. Trait hectares or ?virtual hectares? reached 180 million hectares, up 14 million hectares from 2008. Eight of the 11 countries planting crops with stacked traits were developing nations. Brazil surpassed Argentina as the second largest grower of biotech crops globally. Impressive growth of 5.6 million hectares to 21.4 million hectares, up 35 percent from 2008, was the highest absolute growth for any country in 2009. Burkina Faso?s biotech cotton area soared from 8,500 hectares to a substantial 115,000 hectares, or from 2 percent to 29 percent of the country?s total cotton area ? the largest percentage growth on record at 1,350 percent. Progress continued in the rest of Africa with a significant 17 percent increase in South Africa to reach 2.1 million hectares and a 15 percent increase in Egypt to total 1,000 hectares of Bt maize. Bt cotton in India has revolutionized cotton production in the country with 5.6 million farmers planting 8.4 million hectares in 2009, equivalent to a record 87 percent adoption rate. India gained US$1.8 billion from Bt cotton in 2008 alone and reduced insecticide use by half. Costa Rica reported biotech crops for the first time in 2009, exclusively for the seed export market, while Japan began commercialization of a biotech blue rose. Six European countries planted 94,750 hectares of biotech crops in 2009, down from seven countries and 107,719 hectares in 2008, as Germany discontinued its planting. Spain planted 80 percent of all the Bt maize in the EU in 2009 and maintained its record adoption rate of 22 percent from the previous year. The top eight countries, each growing more than 1 million hectares, were: United States (64.0 million ha.), Brazil (21.4 million ha.), Argentina (21.3 million ha.), India (8.4 million ha.), Canada (8.2 million ha.), China (3.7 million ha.), Paraguay (2.2 million ha.), and South Africa (2.1 million ha.). The remaining countries included: Uruguay, Bolivia, Philippines, Australia, Burkina Faso, Spain, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Czech Republic, Portugal, Romania, Poland, Costa Rica, Egypt and Slovakia. *Growth Drivers for Second Wave of Adoption* Biotech rice and the drought tolerant trait have been identified as the two most important drivers globally for future biotech crop adoption. China?s biosafety clearance of insect-resistant rice is likely to spur faster development of biotech rice and other biotech crops in other developing countries. Meanwhile drought tolerant maize is expected to be deployed in the United States in 2012 and sub-Saharan Africa in 2017. Other key highlights marking the beginning of the second wave of growth in 2009 include the approval of SmartStax, a novel biotech maize containing eight different genes for insect and herbicide resistance and planting in the United States and Canada of the first Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans ? the first product of a new class of technology that allows more efficient, precise gene insertion to directly impact yields. ISAAA predicts future adoption increases will also come from: ? significant expansion of biotech soybean, maize, and cotton in Brazil. ? commercialization of Bt cotton in 2010 by Pakistan, the fourth-largest cotton growing country. ? expansion of Bt cotton in Burkina Faso with potential adoption of biotech cotton and/or maize in other African countries including Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, and Mali. ? adoption of golden rice by the Philippines in 2012 and Bangladesh and India before 2015. Other smaller hectarage crops are also expected to be approved by 2015, including potatoes with pest and/or disease resistance, sugarcane with quality and agronomic traits, and disease resistant bananas. Wheat remains the last major staple crop without approved biotech traits. However, political will for the crop is growing globally. China may be the first country to approve biotech wheat as early as 5 years from now. Traits such as disease resistance are well advanced while sprouting tolerance and enhanced quality traits are being field-tested. China?s public investment in the crop is likely the largest worldwide. ISAAA expects the number of biotech farmers globally to reach 20 million or more in 40 countries on 200 million hectares in just more than five short years in 2015. For more information or the executive summary, log on to www.isaaa.org. The report is entirely funded by two European philanthropic organizations: the Bussolera-Branca Foundation from Italy, which supports the open-sharing of knowledge on biotech crops to aid decision-making by global society; and a philanthropic unit within Ibercaja, one of the largest Spanish banks headquartered in the maize growing region of Spain. The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) is a not-for-profit organization with an international network of centers designed to contribute to the alleviation of hunger and poverty by sharing knowledge and crop biotechnology applications. Clive James, chairman and founder of ISAAA, has lived and/or worked for the past 25 years in the developing countries of Asia, Latin America, and Africa, devoting his efforts to agricultural research and development issues with a focus on crop biotechnology and global food security. *------------------------------------------------------------* *PHILIPPINES 2-PHILIPPINES REMAINS AT THE FOREFRONT OF BIOTECH ADOPTION IN ASIA *by Jenny A. Panopio 05-March-2010 SEARCA BIC News Release The Philippines remains to be in the forefront of GM/biotech corn adoption in the Asian region being the only country in Asia to grow GM/biotech food. In 2009, the area planted to genetically modified corn is projected to increase to about 490,000, from 11,000 hectares of Bt corn when it was first planted in 2003. This is based on the projection data shared by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) during the recent Seminar of its Chair and Founder, Dr. Clive James, on the Global Overview of Biotech/GM Crop: 2009 - Current Status, Impact and Future Prospect. The event participated by academicians, scientists, regulators, policy makers, technology developers and farmers was co-organized by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), the SEAMEO Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEAMEO SEARCA), and ISAAA. According to the recently published ISAAA Brief 41, the Philippines has already gained farm level economic benefit of planting biotech corn estimated at US$88 million from 2003 to 2008 adoption. ISAAA also estimated that the number of small resource-poor farmers, growing an average of 2 hectares of biotech corn, was estimated at 250,000 in 2009. Joseph Benemerito, a small-scale corn farmer from Alfonso Lista, Ifugao, started planting biotech corn in 2006. His corn harvest increased from 3 to 3.5 metric tons per hectare from conventional corn to 7 to 8 metric tons per hectare from biotech corn. Mr. Benemerito is a recipient of National Best Quality Corn Farmer in 2008 and shared his own experience in planting insect resistant, herbicide tolerant and stacked trait corn during the seminar. ?Originally, about 12,000 hectares of land is propagated with corn in Alfonso Lista. But due to the benefits derived from adopting biotech corn- increased yield, lower production cost and increased net income, area planted to corn now increased to about 20,000 hectares? shared by Mr. Benemerito. With the first hand benefits derived from planting biotech corn, Mr. Benemerito remains hopeful that biotechnological innovation will continue to help small scale farmers and looks forward to planting more biotech crops with important traits. ?I do hope that more scientific researchers be done to raise the status of our agricultural sector, more discoveries and commercialization of GM/biotech crops should be explored to make farming profitable and sustainable among farmers throughout the world. We are now happy with what we have but getting worried with the El Nino. I am glad that there are now researches on drought tolerance. We are also hoping to have some Bt vegetables in the future, just like Bt eggplant and ampalaya (bitter gourd).? Biotech/GM crops are considered to be one of the fastest crop technology adopted in the Philippines. Upon the initial approval for the commercial propagation of Bt corn MON 810 in 2002, adoption to GM/biotech corn tremendously increased through time, as new traits were approved and introduced in the market particularly the herbicide tolerant-corn (Round-up Ready RR corn) and stacked trait corn (Bt and RR) which were both propagated in 2005. The Philippines grew about 2.68M hectares of corn in 2009, 1.28M hectares is yellow corn with an average yield of 3.18 tons/ha. In 2009, about 25.5% of all yellow corn is biotech. To date, the Philippines has 49 approvals for the direct use /importation of biotech crops for food, feed and processing for crops such as corn, alfalfa, sugarbeet, soybean, potato and squash. Five events have been approved for commercial propagation. For additional updates on agricultural biotechnology in the Philippines, visit www.bic.searca.org or email bic at agri.searca.org. *------------------------------------------------------------* *3-NATIONAL SCIENTIST CITES NEED FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY *by Mitch Arceo 03-March-2010 Manila Bulletin Changes in the climate and the environment are affecting agriculture, according to national scientist Gelia Castilo. Castillo said the effects of El Ni?o are already evident. One of the effects of El Ni?o is lower food productivity which results in poverty and hunger. The drought has spread not only in the Philippines but in other countries as well. Environmental changes are creating a big impact on agriculture. Castillo said crop biotechnology can help agriculture cope with environmental changes, citing the work of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA). Dr. Clive James, founder and chairman of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), says crop biotechnology that can increase yield, and at the same time conserve nature. Crop biotechnology was the strong advocacy of Dr. Norman Borlaug, who was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1970. This technology not only improves agricultural productivity but it provides healthy and affordable for the people. In 1996, only six countries adopted crop biotechnology. Now, 25 countries all in all are embracing biotechnology. ?As a result of consistent and substantial crop productivity, and economic, environmental and welfare benefits, a record of 14 million small and large farmers in 25 countries planted 134 million hectares in 2009, an increase of 7 percent or 9 million hectares over 2008. The 80-fold increase in biotech crop hectares between 1996 and 2009 is unprecedented and makes biotech crops the fastest adopted crop technology in the recent history of agriculture,? said James. James said that plant biotechnology can contribute to a sustainable development in several ways. Plant biotechnology can increase supply with less production cost. Biotech (Bt) crops and genetically modified crops are found to be more yielding compared to ordinary crops. Therefore, this technology can contribute not only to food security but also poverty and hunger alleviation. Most of the world?s poor consist of farmers in the industrial and developing countries. Data from the ISAAA shows that resource-poor farmers in the 25 countries which approved the adoption of biotechnology are the major beneficiaries of this agricultural development. Local farmer Joseph Benemerito, corn coordinator of the Alfonso Lista Corn Cluster Federation in Ifugao, can attest to that. Benemerito started from growing a single hectare of Bt crops. But after a few years, his single hectare of Bt crops has now expanded to several hectares, producing more harvest and net income. Crop biotechnology not only promotes increased productivity but it also conserves the world?s biodiversity, reduce agriculture?s environmental footprint, and mitigate climate change. *------------------------------------------------------------* *4-AREAS PLANTED TO ?Bt? CORN 14% WIDER* by Jennifer A. Ng / Reporter 02-March-2010 Business Mirror FARMS in the Philippines planted to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or genetically manipulated corn expanded by around 14 percent to 400,000 hectares in 2009, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agribiotech Applications (ISAAA). ISAAA noted that the Philippines and other developing countries increased their share of global biotech crop to almost 50 percent last year, and the Philippines is among the top five countries that exhibited an increase in biotechcrop area of 10 percent or more. Ecology and food-safety groups have repeatedly said the safety of genetically modified food crops has not been established due to the lack of information. They traced lack of data to a number of reasons: the difficulty of evaluation owing to GMO crop foods being more complex; scarcity of publications on GMO food toxicity; and the industry?s preference for using compositional comparisons between GMO and non-GMO crops. One of the most prominent is Greenpeace, which said that genetic engineering results in genes that do not occur naturally and their use is ?genetic pollution? and is a major threat because GMOs cannot be recalled once released into the environment. ?As in the past, the 2009 percentage growth in biotech crop area continued to be significantly stronger in the developing countries (13 percent or 7 million hectares) than industrial countries (3 percent or 2 million hectares),? reported the ISAAA in its ?Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2009? paper. Its argument for the use of GMO crops is that the commercialization of Bt rice and Golden rice alone could feed at least a billion people in Asia. The nonprofit international organization thus remains optimistic of the increasing acceptability of biotech crops especially after the Group of 20 major economies acknowledged the importance of biotech in reducing poverty and hunger, according to Dr. Clive James, ISAAA founder and chairman. The organization expressed concern, however, over the possible impact of the El Ni?o weather phenomenon on the expansion of hectarage planted to GM corn. ?We haven?t come up with a revised target yet for 2010. It?s too early to tell. We are still monitoring the effects of El Ni?o not only to Bt corn but also to other crops, as well,? said Dr. Randy A. Hautea, global coordinator and Southeast Asia Center director of ISAAA, at a media briefing in Makati on Monday. ISAAA had projected that farmlands planted to Bt corn will expand to 480,000 hectares in 2009, from 350,000 hectares in 2008. Aside from GM corn, Hautea said the Philippines is also making a multilocation trial of Bt eggplant and a greenhouse trial of Bt cotton. ISAAA estimated that the global biotech seed market alone was valued at $10.5 billion in 2009 while biotech maize (corn), soybean grain, and cotton was estimated at $130 billion in 2008. Greenpeace slammed commercial interests, however, for denying the public the right to know about GE ingredients in the food chain, ?and therefore losing the right to avoid them despite the presence of labelling laws in certain countries.? ?Biological diversity must be protected and respected as the global heritage of humankind, and one of our world?s fundamental keys to survival. Governments are attempting to address the threat of GE with international regulations such as the Biosafety Protocol,? it said. ?When they are not significantly different, the two are regarded as ?substantially equivalent,? and therefore the GM food crop is regarded as safe as its conventional counterpart. This ensures that GM crops can be patented without animal testing,? according to the groups. However, substantial equivalence ?is an unscientific concept that has never been properly defined? and there are no legally binding rules on how to establish it. Greenpeace also said GMO foods may cause bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics and they can also produce allergies. *------------------------------------------------------------* *5-HIGH-YIELD CORN EXPANSION TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE OF EL NI?O* by Katrina Mennen A. Valdez (Reporter) 02-March-2010 Manila Times HIGH-YIELD grain varieties are unlikely to help the Philippines weather this year?s El Ni?o, according to a farm biotechnology expert. On the sidelines of a conference on Monday, Randy Hautea, director for Southeast Asia of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), said the expansion of Bt-corn in the Philippines would slow down because of the lingering dry spell. Hautea said the growth in the area planted to Bt maize would be volatile since this crop, just like ordinary corn, will not be spared from El Ni?o. ?We cannot give [a] projection for this year yet since the dry spell would have a significant impact in terms of Bt maize growth in the Philippines,? he said. Bt-corn is a variant of maize that is genetically altered to release a toxin against insects. At present, three million hectares of land are planted to corn nationwide, he said. About half of this is devoted to white corn for human consumption, while the other half is for yellow corn or those used for animal feeds. There are two types of corn for animal feeds: the open pollinated and the hybrid corn. Bt maize accounts for about half of the total hybrid corn. In 2008, the area planted to Bt maize stood at 350,000 hectares. ISAAA had projected that the area would increase to 480,000 hectares in 2009. But because of the unfavorable weather, the actual area would only be around 400,000, Hautea said. The Philippines is the only country in Asia that has approved the entry of genetically modified corn. Other countries fear that the Bt corn would adversely affect the health of livestock, which could be possibly passed on to humans once consumed. *------------------------------------------------------------* *6-AREA PLANTED WITH Bt CORN SEEN TO HAVE FALLEN SHORT* 02-March-2010 Business World AREA planted with genetically modified corn (Bt corn) is expected to have fallen short of the 480,000 hectares projected for last year in the wake of damage from storms that hit in the fourth quarter. Randy A. Hautea, director for South East Asia of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), told reporters yesterday that his organization -- which advices the International Rice Research Institute and the Philippine Rice Research Institute on genetically modified crops -- has discovered that about 400,000 hectares were planted with Bt corn. "We are still finalizing the data, but if [weather] conditions had only been normal, we would have achieved the projected 480,000 has for Bt corn. Aside from the typhoons, the El Ni?o dry spell [which started in December] has also affected the whole corn industry," Mr. Hautea said. Mr. Hautea said most of the areas planted are in Region 2, or the Cagayan Valley, a major corn producer that is also one of the regions now worst affected by the dry spell. He declined to give projections for this year, saying "we do not know the full effect of El Ni?o." *------------------------------------------------------------* *7-RP AMONG COUNTRIES WITH GROWING BIOTECH CROP SHARE* by Dennis Estopace (Reporter) 26-February-2010 Business Mirror MOST people do not know it and may believe the environmentalist groups? drive against genetically modified (GM) corn being planted in Mindanao has succeeded, but according to a nonprofit group, biotech corn (maize) planted in the country has increased to 500,000 hectares, making the Philippines one of the developing nations contributing in a major way to GM crops. The latest report of nonprofit International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) noted that the Philippines had a 25-percent growth in the size of GM crop area last year. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had estimated food production must increase by 60 percent over the next 25 years to keep up with world population needs. Major food crops that had been the focus of genetic manipulation are corn and soya, with wheat and rice lagging due to complications.? ?The country was one of seven developing countries that exhibited proportional growth in biotech crop area of 10 percent or more,? according to the ISAAA report. Burkina Faso led these countries with a 1,353-percent increase in the hectarage of biotech crop areas, followed by Brazil, 35 percent, and Bolivia, 33 percent. The Philippines is fourth in percentage growth. The United States topped the 25 countries with 64 million hectares growing biotech crops?from soybean to sugar beet, according to the ?Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2009? ISAAA report. ?As in the past, the 2009 percentage growth in biotech crop area continued to be significantly stronger in the developing countries [13 percent and 7 million hectares] than industrial countries [3 percent and 2 million hectares],? the report said. This ?strong trend for higher growth in developing countries versus industrial countries is highly likely to continue in the near, mid and long term, as more countries from the South adopt biotech crops as crops like rice, 90 percent of which is grown in developing countries, are deployed as new biotech crops.? The Philippines was also recognized by the ISAAA report for what it calls the country?s stacked product that is said to have ?pest resistance and herbicide tolerance in maize.? Crops with ?stacked gene traits,? means having more than one engineered trait in a single variety. In 2008 the ISAAA estimates that areas growing stacked traits of biotech herbicide tolerant (bt/h) maize is 200,000 hectares. A year before that, the estimate was only some 63,000 hectares growing that crop in the country. The Philippines also contributed to last year?s increase of biotech crop farmers in the world to 14 million, with an estimated 250,000 farmers growing or working on areas growing biotech corn. ISAAA forecast the Philippines would adopt GM golden rice by 2012, which would help increase future adoption of biotech crops. *------------------------------------------------------------* *CHINA 8-CHINA ?Bt? RICE OK TO BOOST SUPPLY *by Lyn Resurreccion / Section Editor 02-March-2010 Business Mirror Manila, Philippines - CHINA scored the most important development in biotechnology in 2009 when it approved the biosafety and food-safety viability of a genetically modified (GM) rice variety?Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) rice?that would lead to increased rice yield of 2 percent to 6 percent, and help attain the Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty by 2015, an international biotechnology expert said on Monday. If that variety is adapted in the Philippines, it could help the country solve its rice shortage, he added. China?s Bt rice?with the Bt gene protein incorporated into the seed so the plant could directly ward off insects?will be available commercially in two to three years. ?Without doubt, if you look at the developments in 2009, it [China?s approval of Bt rice] is by far the most important one,? Dr. Clive James, founder and chairman of International Service for the Acquisition of Agribiotech Applications (ISAAA), told the BusinessMirror in an interview over the weekend. ?Rice is the most important food crop in the world, and it is the most important food crop of the poor of the world. So by increasing the production of biotech rice we are also addressing poverty alleviation,? James said. ?It is a big breakthrough. It is like breaking a glass ceiling in terms of rice. Many people will look to China as a role model,? he said. James pointed out that biotechnology, through the development of Bt rice?which is planted in 150 million hectares worldwide, 90 percent in Asia, with 30 million hectares in China?would help address poverty alleviation and contribute to halving poverty by 50 percent in 2015. ?As you know, we as a global society, we made a promise [through the MDGs] to decrease hunger by 50 percent. We believe that this technology can play a very important contribution to that effect,? he added. At the same time, China approved the biosafety requirements of phytase maize in 2009. It is also expected for commercialization in two to three years. Corn is a very important feed crop. With phytase maize, it makes pigs digest more phosphorous?that enhances their growth?while reducing pollution from reduced phosphate levels in animal waste. Phytase maize, the technology for which originated in China, would make meat cheaper, James said. ?As you create wealth in China, they are consuming much more meat. So phytase maize is a very important,? he said. He said China has 50 percent of the pigs in the world. From about 5 million in 1968 it now has about 508 million pigs. ?Feeding this improved maize to these pigs would improve the meat production, bring down the cost of meat and that is exactly what you need as China consumes more meat,? James said. Likewise, China has 13 billion heads of poultry animals, which could be fed from the new GM corn variety that can be planted in its 13 million hectares of maize farms. The Philippines also has a substantial number of hog and poultry farms that could benefit from the technology if it is adapted in the country. James presented on Monday to the biotech community and the media in the Philippines a report titled ?Global status of Commercialized Biotech/GM crops 2009.? The report said that in 2009, 14 million small and large farmers in 25 countries planted 134 million hectares of biotech crops, or an increase of 7 percent or 9 million hectares over 2008. James said the Philippines, which plans to produce 98 percent of rice, could achieve self-sufficiency in rice from Bt rice. The Philippines has imported 2.4 million metric tons (MMT) of rice, which are expected to be delivered before the lean month of July. The country harvested 16.26 MMT of rice from a total of 4.53 million hectares planted to palay in 2009. In 2008, a rice-supply crisis in the Philippines forced the government to import at high prices, causing rice prices worldwide to skyrocket. ?China is producing biotech rice because it wants to increase self sufficiency. It wants to decrease dependence on others on food feed and fiber. It believes that that?s the start issue. I believe that?s a very important concept,? he said. He noted that 110 million households in China grow rice. Assuming an average family size of four, 440 million people will benefit directly from the new rice technology. ?Of course when you produce it, all 1.3 billion people in China who are rice consumers will benefit. This is a very, very big initiative. It will impact not only in China but also in other countries in Asia, where 90 percent of rice is consumed and grown. So this is a major development.? To dispel critics? fear of biotech crops for food, James explained that Bt rice is not the first food crop that would be available for commercialization. He said in US and Canada, 70 percent of the food bought by 300 million population of the two countries are GM. ?They have been eating GM for 14 years. The good news, of course, is that there was not even a suggestion of a problem in terms of food,? he pointed out. The ISAAA report said that products from biotech crops in the US include soybean, maize, cotton (oil), canola, papaya and squash. He added that about 70 percent of white maize grown in South Africa is used as food; papaya is consumed as food in China and in the US. *------------------------------------------------------------* *9-CHINA ON WAY TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN RICE, CORN* by Marvyn N. Benaning 04-March-2010 Manila Bulletin *Expert predicts 8 percent hike in output with use of biotech crops* Manila, Philippines - China is on the road to sufficiency in rice and corn and it bodes well for the world market long bothered by lower output and the reduction of the grain supply for export to rice-deficit countries. Dr. Clive James, founder and chairman of the non-stock, non-profit International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) said Beijing made a giant step in November 2009 when it issued biosafety certificates for biotech insect-resistant rice and phytase corn. Rice is consumed by half of humanity while corn is the single biggest feed crop on the planet. Corn is consumed by livestock, poultry and other animals. With the issuance of such certificates, James said China would be most likely cultivate these biotech rice and corn varieties after the standard two and three years of standard registration field trials before commercialization. The Philippines ranks 11th among countries that grow biotech crops, principally corn. ?With last year?s food crisis, price spikes, and hunger and malnutrition afflicting more than one billion people for the first time ever, there has been a global shift from efforts for just food security to food self-sufficiency,? James added. ?With a current population of 1.3 billion, biotech crops are a critical component for China and other countries to gain self-sufficiency,? he explained. Currently the world?s biggest rice producing country, China had long been bothered by the dreaded rice borer, which the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) variety would combat. Bt rice can raise yields by eight percent, reduce pesticide use by 80 percent or 17 kilos per hectare and generate $4 billion in benefits annually. ?This would have a direct and extensive increase on the prosperity of about 440 million Chinese who rely on rice production,? said Dr. Dafang Huang, former director at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. To post in e-group, e-mail bic at searcaweb.org. To UNSUBSCRIBE, click here . [image: Subscribe A Friend] [image: Subscribe A Friend] [image: ISAAA Celebrates the Life of its Founding Patron, Nobel Peace Laureate] *New biotech book assesses costs, benefits, and environmental impacts * *University Consortium Executive Board meets; approves new collaborative projects in 2010 * *---------------------------------------------------------* *Download available paper and/or presentation handouts of some notable speakers presented at SEARCA Agriculture and Development Series. CLICK HERE. * *---------------------------------------------------------* *IUFRO Kuala Lumpur 2010* *Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 07 - 10 March 2010* *Forum on Biotechnology: Biotechnology: Opening Doors and Creating Opportunities for Food Sustainability* *University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP), Davao City, Philippines 08 March 2010* *41st Anniversary and Annual Scientific Conference of the Pest Management Council of the Philippines (PMCP)* *Waterfront Insular Hotel, Lanang, Davao City, Philippines 09 - 12 March 2010* *40th Anniversary and Scientific Conference of the Crop Science Society of the Philippines* *Grand Regal Hotel, Davao City, Philippines 15 - 20 March 2010* *8th PCIERD Regional and National S&T Fora and Competition in Industry and Energy Research and Development* *Manila, Philippines March 2010* *CALL FOR PAPERS* *------------------------------- JOB OPPORTUNITIES: * *Line Development Breeder (Indonesia) View details here* ** ** *SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center College 4031, Laguna, Philippines Tel +63 49 536 2290 ext 406/169 Fax +63 49 536 4105 E-mail: bic at searca.org* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From searcabic at gmail.com Mon Mar 8 13:30:23 2010 From: searcabic at gmail.com (SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center) Date: Mon, 8 Mar 2010 13:30:23 +0800 Subject: [searcabic] ANNOUNCEMENT: Asia Pacific Conference on IRM for Bt Crops, Manila, Philippines, 18 - 19 Mar 2010 Message-ID: Right click any image to view this page properly. If this e-mail does not appear as a web page, please click here. *ASIA PACIFIC CONFERENCE ON INSECT RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT (IRM) FOR Bt CROPS **18 - 19 March 2010 AIM Conference Center, Makati City, Manila, Philippines* As new-generation Bt crops come into the market and pose new regulatory challenges, it is imperative to review existing IRM strategies and their evolution. The availability of relevant scientific researches and practical experience in the regulation of biotech pest-protected plants warrants the consideration of new insights in managing insect resistance to Bt crops. To provide a venue where the latest IRM-related information can be shared, examined, and discussed, the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), in cooperation with the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines (BCP), will hold the Asia Pacific Conference on Insect Resistance Management (IRM) for Bt Crops. It will be conducted at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Conference Center, Makati City, Philippines on March 19-19, 2010. The conference is intended to: 1. Review current principles and concepts of IRM 2. Examine the experiences on IRM strategies, implementation and monitoring in the Philippines 3. Share IRM implementation experiences with other countries in the region which are expected to adopt Bt crops 4. Update participants on current scientific knowledge on IRM 5. Discuss upcoming related developments 6. Prepare regulators with updated knowledge and strategies related to more complex GM Pest Protected Plants (PPP?s). The conference shall be attended by GM crop regulators and scientists from the Philippines and abroad. A total of 26 review and original research papers on various topics related to IRM will be presented. Local and international experts and regulators will serve as resource speakers. For non-sponsored participants, a registration fee of $200 will be charged. For more information, please contact: *Mr. Santiago Palizada* BPI-Biotech Core Team Member Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) 692 San Andres St., Malate, Manila, Philippines Tel. No.: +63 525 7313; 521 1080 Fax: +63 524 0837 Mobile: +63 9196316673 E-mail: spalizade at yahoo.com Website: www.biotech.da.gov.ph or *Mr. Godfrey Ramon* Biotech Coalition of the Philippines Inc. (BCP) Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines Telephone no.: +63 924 6507 Fax no.: +63 426 1608 E-mail: gramon at gmail.com Website: www.bcp.org.ph Download / View conference session and topics from this link: http://www.bic.searca.org/events/2010/irmconference/IRMConferenceBrochure.pdf -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From searcabic at gmail.com Wed Mar 17 23:35:30 2010 From: searcabic at gmail.com (SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center) Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2010 23:35:30 +0800 Subject: [searcabic] Latest news postings on biotechnology, 17 Mar 2010 Message-ID: Right click images to view this page properly. If this e-mail does not appear as a web page, please click here. *Posted 17 March 2010* PHILIPPINES 1-AFTER CHINA, PHILIPPINES MAY APPROVE GMO RICE 2-RP STILL A BIOTECH 'MEGA COUNTRY' 3-FILIPINA IS FIRST ASEAN WINNER OF L?OR?AL-UNESCO SCIENCE AWARD CHINA 4-GM GRAIN STILL 'LONG DISTANCE AWAY' EUROPE 5-SCIENTISTS FIND NEW WAY TO HELP CROPS FIGHT PESTS GLOBAL 6-BIOTECH CROPS' GLOBAL VALUE HITS $10.5 BILLION IN 2009 *1-AFTER CHINA, PHILIPPINES MAY APPROVE GMO RICE* by Manolo Serapio Jr. (Manila) 16-March-2010 Reuters (Reuters) - The Philippines may follow China as the next Asian country to approve widespread planting of genetically modified rice crops, possibly as early as 2011, an industry expert said on Tuesday. The Philippines, the world's largest rice importer, is one of several countries currently in field tests for GMO rice crops, Robert Zeigler, director general of the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), said at the Reuters Food and Agriculture Summit. Golden Rice, a Vitamin A-enriched grain developed by the IRRI is being bred into local varieties as well in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Vietnam as part of testing to ensure safety, he said. "There's some possibility that it would be the Philippines that will get approval next, for Golden Rice. Probably late 2011 or early 2012," Zeigler said. "Bangladesh will follow very shortly thereafter and India, probably a year or two later." China approved the safety of a locally developed insect-resistant Bt strain of rice last November, opening the door to widespread introduction of the GMO crop within about three years. With a gene bank of around 100,000 rice varieties, IRRI breeds high-yielding strains of rice to meet growing demand. The institute kickstarted the Green Revolution in the 1960s that boosted harvests of the staple food for nearly half the world's 6.8 billion population. *VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY* The availability of Golden Rice, which contains genes from maize and other sources of beta-carotene, was expected to address the deficiency of the micronutrient, Vitamin A, especially among the poor in Asia. Over 90 million children in Southeast Asia suffer from Vitamin A deficiency, more than in any other region, according to IRRI, and the introduction of Golden Rice in the Philippines may be largely meant to benefit public health instead of boosting yields to curb imports. China's newly approved pest-resistant variety could be used for up to 40 percent of the rice crop in the country, the world's top producer and consumer of the grain. *PRESSURE ON RICE SUPPLY* Zeigler said there is continuing pressure on global rice supply with a reduced amount of both water and land available for rice production which should prompt concern and study. The El Nino weather anomaly, which can induce drier weather in Asia, is also a threat to production, he said. "We need to have a combination of sound government policies to develop rice supplies and these policies need to be based on solid scientific research," said Zeigler. *------------------------------------------------------------* *2-RP STILL A BIOTECH 'MEGA COUNTRY'* by Rudy A. Fernandez 15-March-2010 The Philippine Star LOS BA?OS, Laguna, Philippines ? Still a biotechnology ?mega-country?. The Philippines planted genetically modified (GM) corn in 450,00 hectares in 2009, sustaining its ranking in the league of the world?s biotech ?mega-countries?. A mega-country is one that plants biotech or GM crops in 50,000 ha or more, as qualified by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA). New York (USA)-based ISAAA is a not-for-profit organization with an international network of centers designed to contribute to the alleviation of hunger and poverty by sharing knowledge and crop biotechnology applications. The network includes the Southeast Asian Center based in Los Ba?os. Dr. Clive James, ISAAA founder and current board chairman, reported that the Philippines devoted 450,000 ha to Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn last year, up from 350,000 ha in 2008. The Philippines initially planted Bt maize in 10,769 ha in 2003 when the crop was approved by the government for commercialization. Dr. James reported the big strides of GM crops at a recent science forum billed ?Global Overview of Biotech/GM Crops 2009: Current Status, Impact, and Future Prospects? held at the Dusit Thani Manila Hotel in Makati City. Attended by scientists, researchers, academics, industry representatives, and media people, the seminar was dedicated to the late Dr. Norman Borlaug, 1970 Nobel Peace Laureate who was considered the ?Father of the Green Revolution?. Dr. Borlaug, a regular visitor of the Philippines over the past few decades, died last Sept. 12 at 95. ?The adoption of biotech maize in the Philippines has increased consistently every year since it was first commercialized in 2003,? ISAAA noted. It is the first country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region to implement a biotechnology regulatory system for transgenic crops. The system has also served as a model for other countries in Southeast Asia. The system was formulated in 1990 with the issuance of Executive Order No. 430 establishing the National Biosafety Committee of the Philippines (NCBP). ?Future prospects look encouraging, with several ?homegrown? biotech products likely to be commercialized possibility that the Philippines might be the first country to commercialize Golden Rice around 2012,? ISAAA said. The United States still topped the list of biotech ?mega-countries? in 2009. It planted 64 million hectares of biotech maize, ecosystem, cotton, canola, sugarbeat, alfalfa, papaya, and squash. Devoted for maize was 35.2 million ha (more than the Philippine?s total land area of 30 million ha). Soybean came in second with 31.4 million ha and upland cotton, 3.5 million ha. Second to the US was Brazil, which planted 21.4 million ha to soybean, maize and cotton. It was followed by Argentina with 21.3 million ha also planted to maize, soybean and cotton. India ranked fourth with 8.4 million ha planted to cotton. Canada devoted 8.2 million ha to canola, maize, soybean and sugarbeat. Completing the top 10 biotech crop producers are China, 3.7 million ha; Paraguay, 2.2 million ha; South Africa, 2.1 million ha; Uruguay, 800,000 ha; and Bolivia, 800,000 ha. The Philippines ranked 11th. The other biotech ?mega-countries? are Australia, Burkina Faso, Spain, and Mexico. The other nations that planted biotech crops in 2009 in lesser areas were Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Czech Republic, Portugal, Poland, Costa Rica, Egypt, and Slovakia. *------------------------------------------------------------* *3-FILIPINA IS FIRST ASEAN WINNER OF L?OR?AL-UNESCO SCIENCE AWARD *by Rowena C. Burgos 14-March-2010 Philippine Daly Inquirer Biochemist Lourdes Jansuy Cruz?s study on snail toxin has led to the development of non-addictive morphine PROF. LOURDES JANSUY Cruz was sleeping soundly when the call came at midnight. After she hung up the phone, she tried to sleep again but could not. ?I got the call from the L?Or?al Foundation program secretariat in Paris. I was informed that the jury for the selection of the award just finished their deliberation and that the jury chairman wanted to talk to me. I was very happy after that talk [that I couldn?t go back to sleep],? Cruz said. Before she was chosen as one of the five laureates for the 2010 L?Or?al-Unesco For Women in Science Awards, many would have described Cruz as a typical working woman. A biochemist at Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines, she split her time between teaching and laboratory work before she retired last year. But ?typical? no longer applies. Cruz, 67, is the first Filipino recipient of the L?Or?al-Unesco award and the first awardee from the Asean region. Recognized for her role in discovering Conotoxins (toxins from marine snails) during the 1970s to the ?80s, Cruz was directly involved in isolating peptides (a chain of amino acids which are the building blocks of proteins) from the venom of Conus snails found in the Philippines. One of these peptides was developed by the US biotechnology firm Cognetix Corp. (later bought by Elan Pharmaceuticals) to produce the non-addictive drug Prialt Ziconotodine (primary alternative to morphine). ?It?s very potent, and it does not have the side effects of morphine like drowsiness, light-headedness, euphoria, dry mouth and fatigue,? Cruz said. *Five laureates* Cruz is one of the five laureates this year, chosen from nearly 1,000 nominees all over the world, selected by a jury led by Nobel Prize winner Gunter Blobel. The awards, launched in 1998, aim to encourage scientific research among women scientists. This year?s other four laureates are: Rashika El Ridi (Africa and the Arab States), professor at Cairo University in Egypt, for paving the way towards the development of a vaccine against the tropical disease Schistomiasis/Bilharzia; Elaine Fuchs (North America), professor at Rockefeller University in the US, for her contributions to skin biology and skin stem cells; Anne Dejean-Ass?mat (Europe), professor at Pasteur Institute in France, for her contributions to our understanding of leukemia and liver cancers; and Alejandra Bravo (Latin America), professor at the Institute of Molecular Microbiology of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma in Mexico, for her work on a bacterial toxin that acts as powerful insecticide. The laureates each received $100,000 (P4.6 million) in prize money and were honored at an awards ceremony last March 4 at the Unesco headquarters in Paris. The prestigious award is given to one exceptional female scientist per continent every year. In 12 years, the program has recognized 62 laureates, 150 international fellows, 700 national fellows. *Passion for science* Born to a family of scientists?her father Ramon Cruz was research director for the Philippine Sugar Institute and Canlubang Sugar Estate, and sister Teresita is a chemist?Cruz knew her passion was in the lab. ?Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to get into science. My first science course in college was really very interesting for me,? she said. After taking up Chemistry at UP, Cruz worked as research aide at the International Rice Research Institute in Ilocos Norte where she studied rice quality with Dr. Bienvenido Juliana. Though she had officially retired from the academe, she stayed on to handle classes at the UP Marine Science Institute and continues to advise students on their scientific dissertations. Cruz wants to work as long as she can, just like her father, who worked into his 80s. *Snail toxins* Cruz has written over 130 scientific papers on various topics, including rice grains, amino acids and proteins, and prawns. She is also part of a team studying harmful algal blooms in the Philippines that involve paralytic shellfish poisoning or ?red tide.? But her most famous discovery is the marine snail toxin that garnered numerous awards for Cruz and her partner in the project, Dr. Baldomero Olivera. The scientists thought they would be done with the research in two years, expecting that the snails would yield only one or two active components?just like snake venom. ?But it turns out that the snail venom contains many, many other components that affect nerves and muscles. So the study branched off and got extended until 1985 and onwards,? she said. Research on Conotoxins is ongoing, with collaborations among Cruz?s graduate students and foreign universities. *Rural Linc* In addition to her devotion to lab work, Cruz is also committed to helping society. In 2001, she started the Rural Livelihood Incubator (Rural Linc) with the help of volunteers and private funding. Rural Linc strives to create jobs and fight poverty and sociopolitical instability over the long term in rural Philippines. ?As a citizen of the Philippines, I am very concerned about the persistent high poverty level in rural areas, particularly among disadvantaged communities such as the indigenous tribes, women farmers and fisher folks.? Cruz?s vision has been to use science and technology as tool to alleviate poverty among communities where scientists usually work. Under the project, a team of scientists?from anthropologists to taxonomists?work with Aetas to develop the tribe?s history, genealogy, area maps of their ancestral domains, and studies on the medicinal plants that Aetas have been using to cure diseases (like rattan that is used for diarrhea). ?These are untapped wealth. I think one of the tricks of conservation is to try to find uses for them. For example, wild trees like bugnay (wild berry trees) and duhat (black plum) used to be chopped down for charcoal so they would die off. Now, they saw they could earn money from them,? Cruz said. Rural Linc also teaches Aetas skills like commercial bee-keeping and makes indigenous people aware of their rights over natural resources in their area by translating the Indigenous People?s Rights Act to the Aetas? dialect. Determined to improve the lives of individuals in her community, Cruz plans to use the L?Or?al-UNESCO Award money to buy a piece of land to serve as new base for Rural Linc, and site for the women?s fruit processing facility that will preserve local heritage. ?This project involves building a fruit processing facility run by women farmers, where the indigenous tribes can sell fruits from the orchards and forest trees.? A woman and a scientist who never loses sight of the need to solve practical problems to improve people?s lives, Cruz is very active in addressing poverty in the Philippines: ?After devoting all my time to a relatively productive scientific career, I asked myself what have I really done to help my country and my countrymen, particularly the poor communities?? To those who want to be successful in their scientific careers, Cruz advises to learn how to get funds. ?You need this for your research, so it?s a must to earn writing grants and getting your works published.? Cruz tells the young, who have an aptitude in science, never to give up. ?In addition to the salary, there are so many intangible benefits that go with it.? *------------------------------------------------------------* *CHINA 4-GM GRAIN STILL 'LONG DISTANCE AWAY' *by Shan Juan and Wu Jiao (China Daily) 11-March-2010 China Daily *Rice strains still require certification from health, quality inspection departments* BEIJING: Genetically modified (GM) foods still have a long way to go before they reach the Chinese market even though the Ministry of Agriculture has certificated two strains of GM rice, a senior rural affairs official said on Wednesday. Before reaching the shelves, the products need to be certified by government agencies from the health and quality inspection sectors, Chen Xiwen, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and deputy director of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, said during a panel discussion in Beijing. Any of these agencies might stop the GM rice from entering the market, he said. "As a country with a huge population to feed, China should maintain its leading role in the research of advanced agricultural technology," Chen said, adding that the country needs to be prudent in GM production. GM safety is a hot issue at the NPC and CPPCC sessions, under way in the capital. In November, the Ministry of Agriculture granted bio-safety certificates to two pest-resistant GM rice varieties and corn - a major step in promoting the research and planting of GM crops. It has became major news given the sensitivity of the issue, coupled with the fact that China is a major rice producer. China is also the first country in the world that has given a nod to GM staple food, which experts say will pave the way for large-scale commercial cultivation of GM crops. At the height of the debate on human and bioenvironmental safety of GM farming, a senior official spoke out in favor of the biotechnology. "The application and research on GM agriculture is definitely the future trend in China and is among strategic measures to strive for more competitive agriculture through technology," Wei Chaoan, vice-minister of agriculture, said at a press conference. *Worries over biosafety* There has been widespread speculation on when GM staples, particularly rice, would be available on the menu, as worries over consumer safety continue to grow. "The certificates, based on fair safety evaluation, won't mean GM rice would be commercially planted immediately. It will require production trials and registration," he said. Wei revealed that the applications for the two rice strains were filed 11 and six years ago respectively. "The process will be handled according to law in a careful and transparent manner," he pledged, adding that China has so far neither approved commercial cultivation nor imports of GM grain. Besides, China has never approved GM seed imports, he stressed, despite the fact that the country's traditional soybean industry is getting seriously damaged due to huge GM soybean imports. "Other farm produce like GM papaya, soybean oil, tomatoes and potatoes, however, began to hit the market around 2000 after government approval, many without proper labeling, which is required by the law," said Fang Lifeng, spokesman for Greenpeace China's GM program. The debate on GM foods began back then, but peaked in late 2009, when the GM rice and corn bio-safety certificates were issued. *Opposing opinions* Yuan Longping, a leading agricultural scientist, warned last week that health implications of some GM crops, especially the anti-pest strains, remain unclear. He said such crops need to undergo human trials for at least one or two generations. However, Huang Dafang, a member of the bio-safety committee affiliated to the ministry, responded that GM crops need no human trial at all. "Previous animal testing has already showed that the crops are as safe to grow and eat as non-GM ones," he said. "In three to five years, the homegrown GM rice will hit the market. The project will not be affected by unsubstantiated safety criticism, largely based on emotion and fuelled by media hype," he asserted. China now yields around 500 million tons of grain annually. With the population expected to increase to 1.6 billion by 2020, 630 million tons of grain will be needed, experts said. "The approved GM rice, which could reduce current pesticide use by 80 percent while increasing present yields by 6 percent, would greatly help meet the demand," Huang said. Besides scientific value, developing GM agriculture is also of great economic and political importance, said Chen Wenfu, director of the rice research institute of Shenyang Agricultural University. "All countries, including China, are doing research on the high-end technology, which might lead to a new agricultural landscape worldwide," Chen, a CPPCC member, told China Daily. In mid-2008, China approved a 4-billion-yuan ($586 million) budget for GM crop research in the coming years to produce high-quality, high-yield and pest-resistant GM crop species, Xinhua reported. On March 2, the European Commission, which boasts the strictest laws on GM application, approved a GM potato to be grown, though not for human consumption. It was only the second GM product to be given a green light in Europe. "The commercial cultivation and release of GM crops should be done extremely carefully," Chen said. "Given unknown health impacts from GM food, it's good for China to take the lead in GM research rather than in eating GM food," he said. Besides, due to a lack of a sound food safety supervision network and limited capacity in GM food examination, China is not ready to commercialize GM crops, experts said. *------------------------------------------------------------* *EUROPE 5-SCIENTISTS FIND NEW WAY TO HELP CROPS FIGHT PESTS *by Kate Kelland 14-March-2010 ABC News LONDON (Reuters) - An international team of scientists has managed to transfer disease resistance from one plant family to another, offering broader protection from potentially costly and destructive pests. A team led by Cyril Zipfel at Britain's Sainsbury Laboratory found that transferring a single gene from a wild plant to disease-susceptible crop plants made them more robust against infections like bacterial wilt and other diseases. If the results can be duplicated more widely, they could help prevent massive crop losses and avoid environmental, health and financial costs associated with using pesticides, the researchers wrote in the Nature Biotechnology journal on Sunday. "The implications for engineering crop plants with enhanced resistance to infectious diseases are very promising," Sophien Kamoun, head of the Sainsbury Laboratory, said in a commentary. The team is already extending its work to several crop plants, including potato, apple, cassava and banana -- all of which suffer from damaging bacterial diseases, particularly in the developing world. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) said last year that bacterial wilt disease had been found in bananas in Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uganda, Africa's leading banana grower and consumer, has suffered with the disease since 2001 and it causes losses of between $70 million and $200 million annually, according to CGIAR. Zipfel's team, which included Dutch, French and American researchers, explained in the study that breeding programs for plant disease resistance usually focus on single genes in crop plants that could fight a particular strain of bug. This resistance usually breaks down in field-grown crops as the pest finds ways to outwit the plant. The new study focused on an immune receptor gene called a pattern recognition receptor (PRR) which is activated by many bacterial bugs but is not normally found in potato or tomato plant families. *------------------------------------------------------------* *GLOBAL 6-BIOTECH CROPS' GLOBAL VALUE HITS $10.5 BILLION IN 2009 *by Rudy Fernandez 08-March-2010 The Philippine Star MANILA, Philippines - The global market value of biotechnology or genetically modified (GM) crops hit the $10 billion mark in 2009, up from $9 billion in 2008. Last year?s $10.5 billion represented 20 percent of the $52.2 billion global crop protection market in 2009 and 30 percent of the about $34 billion commercial seed market. The value of the biotech crop market for 2010 is projected at more than $11 billion. The accumulated global value for the 12-year period since biotech crops were first commercialized in 1996 is estimated at $62.3 billion, reported the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA). New York-based ISAAA is a not-for-profit organization with an international network of centers designed to contribute to the alleviation of hunger and poverty by sharing knowledge and crop biotechnology applications. The network includes the Southeast Asian Center based in Los Ba?os, Laguna. Dr. Clive James, ISAAA founder and current board chairman, reported the significant strides of biotechnology or GM crops at a recent seminar billed ?Global Overview of Biotech/GM Crops 2009; Current Status, Impact, and Future Prospect? hold at the Dusit Thani, Manila Hotel in Makati City. Attended by scientists, academics, the biotechnology sector, and members of the print and broadcast media, the seminar was dedicated to the late Dr. Norman Borlaug, 1970 Nobel Peace Laureate who was acclaimed as the ?Father of the Green Revolution.? Borlaug, a regular visitor to the Philippines over the past three decades and a friend of the late Philippine STAR founding publisher Max V. Soliven, died last September at age 95. Others who spoke at the seminar were National Scientist Dr. Gelia T. Castrillo; Dr. Emil Q. Javier, former Science Minister and University of the Philippines System president and now president of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST); and Dr. Randy Hautea, ISAAA global coordinator. Dr. James reported that the $10.5 billion biotechnology crop market in 2009 comprised $5.2 billion for biotech maize equivalent to 50 percent of the global biotech crop market; $3.9 billion for biotech soybean (37.2 percent); $1.1 billion for biotech cotton; and $300,000 for biotech canola. A big chunk ($8.2 billion or 78 percent) of the 2009 $10.5 billion biotech crop market was dominated by industrial countries while $2.3 billion was accounted by developing countries. ?The market value of the global biotech crop market is based on the sale price of biotech seed plus any technology fees that apply,? stated the ISAAA report. The ISAAA estimates do not include the market for biotech crops, which have greater market value and are difficult to assess directly. However, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service reports that 80 to 90 percent of all corn, soy and cotton grown in the US is biotech transgenic. As in the previous years, the US topped the 25 countries that planted biotech crops in 2009. Last year, the US devoted 64 million hectares (acre than twice the Philippine land area of 30 million ha) to biotech maize, soybean, cotton, wheat, sugarcane, sugarbeat, alfalfa, canola, papaya and squash. Brazil, for the first time, overtook Argentina in area planted to GM crops ? 21.4 million ha as against Argentina?s 21.3 million ha. The other top 10 biotech crop producers in 2009 were India, 8.4 million ha; Canada, 8.2 million ha; China, 3.7 ha; Paraguay, 2.2 million ha; South Africa, 2.1 million ha, Uruguay, 800,000 ha; and Bolivia, 800,000. The Philippines ranked 11th, with 490,000 ha planted to Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn; followed by Australia, which devoted 230,000 ha to biotech cotton and biotech canola. To post in e-group, e-mail bic at searcaweb.org. To UNSUBSCRIBE, click here . [image: Subscribe A Friend] [image: Subscribe A Friend] [image: ISAAA Celebrates the Life of its Founding Patron, Nobel Peace Laureate] *Tokyo University of Agriculture, SEARCA strengthen ties through joint scholarships * *New SEARCA book zeroes in on climate change and biodiversity link* *---------------------------------------------------------* *Download available paper and/or presentation handouts of some notable speakers presented at SEARCA Agriculture and Development Series. CLICK HERE. * *---------------------------------------------------------* *Asia Pacific Conference on Insect Resistance Management for Bt Crops* *AIM Conference Center, Makati City, Manila, Philippines 18 - 19 March 2010* *8th PCIERD Regional and National S&T Fora and Competition in Industry and Energy Research and Development* *Manila, Philippines March 2010* *CALL FOR PAPERS* *------------------------------- JOB OPPORTUNITIES: * *Line Development Breeder (Indonesia) View details here* ** ** *SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center College 4031, Laguna, Philippines Tel +63 49 536 2290 ext 406/169 Fax +63 49 536 4105 E-mail: bic at searca.org* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From searcabic at gmail.com Sat Mar 27 16:07:53 2010 From: searcabic at gmail.com (SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center) Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2010 16:07:53 +0800 Subject: [searcabic] Latest news postings on biotechnology, 27 March 2010 Message-ID: Right click images to view this page properly. If this e-mail does not appear as a web page, please click here. *Posted 27 March 2010* *PHILIPPINES* 1-GM CORN PRODUCTION NOW A MULTI-BILLION-PESO INDUSTRY 2-CARABAO CENTER MARKS 17TH YEAR IN WEEK-LONG CELEBRATIONS 3-PHILIPPINE BASIC RESEARCH NEEDS MORE FUNDING, SAY SCIENTISTS 4-ORGANIC AGRICULTURE ACT WILL MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE *CHINA* 5-CENTRAL CHINA PROVINCE DENIES GM RICE ACCUSATION *INDIA* 6-MS SWAMINATHAN THROWS HIS WEIGHT BEHIND BT BRINJAL *GLOBAL* 7-WORLD CROP OUTPUT MUST INCREASE TO MEET GROWING NEED *1-GM CORN PRODUCTION NOW A MULTI-BILLION-PESO INDUSTRY* by Rudy A. Fernandez 26-March-2010 The Philippine STAR LOS BA?OS, Laguna , Philippines ? Genetically modified (GM) corn production in the Philippines has become a multi-billion-peso venture. In 2008 alone, the net national impact of biotechnology maize on farm income was estimated at $49 million (about P2.25 billion). >From 2003, when the government approved the commercial production of biotech corn in the country, up to 2008, the farm level economic benefit of planting GM maize is estimated to have reached $88 million (P4 billion), reported the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA). New York (USA)-based ISAAA is a not-for-profit organization with an International network of centers designed to contribute to the alleviation of hunger and poverty by sharing knowledge and crop biotechnology applications. The network includes the Southeast Asian center based in Los Ba?os. Dr. Clive James, ISAAA founder and current board chairman, reported the significant strides of biotech crops at a recent seminar billed ?Global Overview of Biotech/GM Crops 2009: Current Status, Impact, and Future Prospects? held at the Dusit Thani Manila Hotel in Makati City. Other seminar speakers were Dr. Gelia T. Castillo, a National Scientist; Dr. Emil Q. Javier, former University of the Philippines System president, now president of the National Academy of Science and Technology; Dr. Randy Hautea, ISAAA global coordinator; Dr. Rhodora Aldemita, also of ISAAA; and Isabela farmer Joseph Bonemerito, who gave a testimonial on his success as a Bt corn farmer. Bt stands for Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium that naturally occurs in soil. Through biotechnology (genetic engineering) technique, a specific gene of Bt has been introduced or inserted in a corn variety. The Bt corn produces its natural pesticide against Asian corn borer, one of the most destructive pests attacking corn in the Philippines and in other Asian countries. In his 290-page annual report, Dr. James said: ?The benefits of biotech maize to Filipino farmers? livelihood, income, the environment, and health have been well-studied and documented. Farms planting Bt maize in the Northern Philippines have significantly higher populations of beneficial insects such as flower bugs, beetles, and spiders than those planted to conventional hybrid maize.? Dr. James also cited socioeconomic studies done by Filipino researchers citing the higher incomes derived from planting GM corn over other non-transgenic varieties. At best, Bt corn has considerably changed for the better the complexion of vast farm areas in the countryside. Consider Barangay Anao, Mexico, Pampanga. Anao was once part of a hacienda placed under land reform in the 1970s. It turned into a ?no man?s land? in the early 1990s when volcanic ashes mantled it following the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. In recent years, it turned verdant and productive again ? thanks to biotech corn, which almost all the farmers in the barangay planted. The once sleepy hamlet is now a picture of progress, with many of the families having sent their children to college out of their high income from their Bt corn harvest, as gathered by this writer a few years ago. The success story of biotech corn in the Philippines can also best be exemplified by Sara town in Northern Iloilo. Sara?s once barren hilly grasslands are now lash and productive corn fields planted to GM maize. When the villagers began planting the ?wonder crop? in 2005 through the initiative of the Northern Iloilo Cooperative Corn Producers Association Inc. (NICPAI), only 800 ha were covered. In just three years, the area, covered by biotech corn soared to 9,300 ha, with the farmers earning at least P40,000 annually, reported NICPAI farmer-leader Nelson Sonza. Farm sizes vary from two to five ha per family. NICPAI subsequently shot to international prominence when it won PLEDGE, the highest global award given by multinational Monsanto to outstanding projects in agriculture. NICPA?s success story dubbed ?From Grassland to Corn Land? won a cash prize of $20,000. Biotech corn has also catapulted several Filipino farmers to global limelight. Example is Rosalie Ellasus of San Jacinto, Pangasinan, a petite lady who once worked as a caregiver abroad but eventually became one of the most successful biotech corn growers in the country. In 2007, Ellasus, now a municipal councilor in her town, was chosen as the first recipient of the Kleckner Trade and Technology Advancement Award (USA) given for ?exemplary leadership, vision, and resolve in advancing the rights of farmers to choose the technology and tools that will improve the quality, quantity, and availability of agricultural products around the world.? Ellasus, a former president of the Philippine Federation of Maize (PhilMaize) farmers, has also been invited in several international forums to talk on her experiences as biotech corn farmer. Another is Edwin Paraluman of Cotabato, who has been an active advocate of biotech crops here and abroad. He is coordinator of the Asian Farmers Regional Network. Summing up, ISAAA projected: ?Future prospects look encouraging, with several ?home grown? biotech products likely to be commercialized in the next three years, including Bt eggplant, biotech papaya, and Golden Rice.? *------------------------------------------------------------* *2-CARABAO CENTER MARKS 17TH YEAR IN WEEK-LONG CELEBRATIONS * by Rowena Galang-Bumanlag 21-March-2010 The Philippine STAR SCIENCE CITY OF MU?OZ - Hundreds of farmers in Luzon will be briefed on the various aspects of dairying during visits to four dairy sites in Nueva Ecija on March 25. They were invited by the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) to take part in the week-long 17th anniversary celebration of the agency, which runs from March 22 to 26. The farmers will be given lectures on forage production, waste disposal management, proper milk collection and handling, and milk quality testing. Champion farmers of the PCC will be giving the lectures. Sites of the visit and lectures will be in dairy farms in San Jose City, Talavera, and this city in Nueva Ecija. Dr. Michiko Nakai of the National Institute of Agro-biological Sciences in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan, will talk on the ?Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI): Recent Developments and Prospects in Livestock Production.? A forum on artificial insemination will be held the whole day on Wednesday. On Friday, which is the anniversary program of PCC, newly appointed Agriculture Secretary Bernie Fondevilla will deliver his keynote address. Dr. Libertado Cruz, PCC executive director, will render his report about the achievements of PCC during the past year and will give a glimpse of what the agency will do next in relation to the carabao improvement program in the country and its additional mandate as the country?s lead agency for livestock biotechnology research and development. A book, ?Appreciating the Carabao?, written by Nueva Ecija journalist Anselmo Roque, will be launched during the program. The PCC will also give awards for best dairy cooperative, best dairy cow, and best dairy buffalo farmer under the smallhold and family module categories. Gov. Aurelio Umali of Nueva Ecija, Rep. Joseph Violago of the second district of Nueva Ecija, and Mayor Nestor Alvarez of this city have been invited to grace the occasion. *------------------------------------------------------------* *3-PHILIPPINE BASIC RESEARCH NEEDS MORE FUNDING, SAY SCIENTISTS* by Ma. Theresa V. Ilano 17-March-2010 SciDev.net [CEBU] Filipino scientists say more money is needed for basic science following the success of a scheme to divert some research funds to more 'blue skies' topics. Half of the government's research and development (R&D) budget should go towards basic research instead of the current 20 per cent, according to Jaime C. Montoya, president of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), which funds basic research. "The global competition is now in basic science, so we're putting more emphasis on basic research," he told SciDev.Net. "Some of our neighbours [in the region] are already doing so." Montoya's comments follow the successful implementation of some projects through the National Integrated Basic Research Agenda (NIBRA), launched in November 2008, which allows basic science researchers better access to Philippine government funds. Under NIBRA, the NRCP has been able to tap the grants-in-aid programme of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), which funds research projects by government scientific agencies as well as projects in other areas such as technology transfer. "Any project that [the NRCP] approved but cannot fund is recommended to the DOST for funding," DOST Undersecretary Graciano P. Yumul said. Two projects started last year and four others from various disciplines are due to start soon, said Montoya. "The NRCP has a very small budget ? about US$450,000 a year. Now that we are able to access DOST funds, more basic research can be undertaken," Montoya told SciDev.Net. "But it's not enough," he said. "We need more funds." Montoya said the country's overall research budget should also be increased. The budget for DOST's grants-in-aid programme has been increasing annually, with this year's allocation reaching US$32 million, roughly 7 per cent more than last year's US$30 million. But the allocation for the research component of this programme has hardly changed from the US$12 million annual share in 2008, said Rosella B. Dolor, DOST's project development officer. Researchers said they were hopeful that the new administration, after May's presidential elections, would continue to move the basic science agenda forwards. Liza G. Custodio, supervising administrative officer of the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, said her institute's goal is to raise at least US$400,000 each year for basic research instead of the current US$10,000 or less. "Our goal is to focus more on basic research because this is the foundation for applied science. It would help a lot if we are able to access government funds," Custodio said. *------------------------------------------------------------* *4-?ORGANIC AGRICULTURE ACT WILL MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE?* by Angela B. Lopez de Leon 09-March-2010 Malaya A FARMERS? group yesterday urged President Arroyo to immediately sign the Organic Agriculture Act of 2009, saying this would help mitigate the effects of climate change. At yesterday?s press conference at the Quezon Memorial Circle, Isidro "Boy" Ancog, coordinator of Pakisama for Visayas, said organic farming not only enables ecosystems to better adjust to the effects of climate change but also reduces the emissions of agricultural greenhouse gases (GHG). "This measure will encourage farmers to engage in organic farming since it will give incentives to farmers who become involved in this natural method of farming," said Ancog. "At the same time, organic agriculture is considered one of the appropriate farming systems that enhance resilience to the effects of climate change. It reduces greenhouse gases mainly due to the less use of chemical fertilizers and fossil fuel." Ancog said organic farming also provides many benefits for soil quality, helps to break pest and disease life cycles, and maximizes efficient use of soil nutrients and water. The proposed Organic Agriculture Act of 2009 would give certified farms a four-year income tax holiday and exempt them from duties on imported agricultural equipment. The bill would also exempt from local taxes those who produce and use organic farming inputs, and grant preferential lending rates and subsidies on organic certification fees. "The impact of climate change can still be stopped. If not, probably lessen it. We just need to act now," Ancog said. Ancog went on a three-day hunger strike during the 10th FAO International Technical Conference on Agriculture Biotechnologies in Developing Countries in Mexico last March 1 to 4, 2010. He objected the fact that the conference appeared to be promoting biotechnology, including the commercial use of genetically modified organisms, as the most viable solution to poverty and hunger in developing countries. "Technologies are so top-down, imposed on us with very little knowledge given especially its limitations and effects," said Ancog. Ancog noted that with the implementation of GMOs the farmers can no longer plant crops that are insect- or wind-pollinated, limiting the diversity of food both on the farm and in the market place. He said the Organic Agriculture law will check the alarming damage to farmlands caused by GMOs and the pesticides used in farms that cultivate them. *------------------------------------------------------------* *CHINA 5-CENTRAL CHINA PROVINCE DENIES GM RICE ACCUSATION *20-March-2010 China Daily CHANGSHA - Central China's Hunan province said on Saturday rice on sale at its supermarkets was not genetically modified and refuted environmental group Greenpeace's accusation. The provincial agricultural department said in a statement that no pest-resistant genetically modified ingredients had been found in samples of all 32 brands of rice being sold on the local market. "Samples were taken from the Wal-Mart outlet on South Huangxing Road in the provincial capital Changsha, and several other stores and mills in the province last Monday and Tuesday, but no GM ingredient was found after careful analysis by professional testing institutions," the document said. Zuo Pingquan, an official in charge of science promotion at the provincial agricultural department, said the testing had been a complicated procedure, involving DNA extraction. Greenpeace said in a report last Monday that GM rice was being sold at supermarkets in Hunan, including the Wal-Mart outlet. Greenpeace said its study was conducted in October. China's central government approved a program in 2008 to cultivate high-yield, pest-resistant genetically modified grains as it faced the challenge of feeding its 1.3 billion people and battles both shrinking arable land and climate change. But Chen Xiwen, a senior rural affairs official, said GM foods still had a long way to go before they could reach the Chinese market as they were currently unable to get the necessary certificates from health and quality inspection authorities. Last year, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) issued safety certificates for GM rice that is resistant to certain insects, as well as corn that helps pigs absorb more nutrients, Vice Minister Wei Chaoan said at the annual parliament session last week. But Wei said the certificates were "more a recognition of scientists' work and achievement than the approval for commercial production". Opinions from Chinese scientists on the safety of GM food, however, vary. Leading agricultural scientist Yuan Longping has warned that some GM crops, particularly the anti-pest strains, need human trials for at least one or two generations as their health implications remain unclear. But Huang Dafang, a member of the bio-safety committee affilicated to the MOA, insists GM crops have proven safety in previous animal testing. "We are technically advantageous in hybrid rice planting. The genetically-modified technology could ensure China's superiority in food production," said Huang. *------------------------------------------------------------* *INDIA 6-MS SWAMINATHAN THROWS HIS WEIGHT BEHIND BT BRINJAL *by Senthalir S. / DNA 25-March-2010 Daily News and Analysis India Bangalore: MS Swaminathan, renowned as the ?father of economical ecology,? and member of parliament, on Wednesday vouched for the need to introduce Bt brinjal. He was speaking at a meet on ?2010-11 Budget and National Food Security? organised by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce. ?Bt Brinjal is pest resistant. It should be tested as and when released. Research has to be conducted, and be prepared for the series,? he said. He added that regulations have to be brought in, so that a move such as this could be safely implemented. Dr Swaminathan also expressed disappointment with the Union budget allocation to agriculture. He said the poor allocationin the budget was a reflection of the priority of the government. Dr Swaminathan underlined the need for encouraging organic farming, and taking special care of the health of the soil. He also spoke of the need to ensure proper storage facilities. Speaking at the meet and taking a more cautious stance, Sangita Sharma, director, Annandana, an NGO, said: ?Every farmer has the right to choose seeds that suit his needs best. Multinational companies cannot dictate the use of seeds. Many countries have already passed a moratorium banning genetically modified foods. Why is our government still not waking up to that?? She added that agricultural research around the world has indicated that secondary pests have been released into the environment. ?In China, studies have revealed that GM crops have increased the use of pesticides by 8%. GM crops cause irreversible changes,? she warned. Alluding to the non-pesticide management (NPM) model adopted in 21 districts of Andhra Pradesh, she said, ?We have a history of agriculture in this country that goes back 15,000 years or more. The methods adopted by our farmers have helped in the cultivation of sustainable crops. GM crops are more likely to suit the interests of multinationals than farmers. We cannot allow the introduction of such crops until they are tried and tested.? *------------------------------------------------------------* *GLOBAL 7-WORLD CROP OUTPUT MUST INCREASE TO MEET GROWING NEED *18-March-2010 The Sydney Morning Herald Global crop production must rise 86 per cent to meet world food needs by 2050, according to a study sponsored by businesses including Monsanto Co, DuPont Co, Archer Daniels Midland Co and Deere & Co. By mid-century, planted acreage may need to expand 16 per cent, provided historic trends in yield increases don't change, according to the study released today in Washington. Biotech products "are critical to growth in yields" in developed agricultural economies, study author John Kruse said at a briefing for reporters. For developing countries, genetic modification and engineering of plants will work in tandem with modernised farm and transportation networks to encourage greater output, he said. The United Nations has said that by 2050, food production must increase by 70 per cent to feed an estimated world population of 9 billion people, up from today's 6.8 billion. The number of people going hungry each day topped 1 billion for the first time last year, according to the UN. Crop and livestock output may fall as much as 25 per cent by 2050 unless food production and handling are changed, the UN has said. It cited increasing water shortages and shifting land use with climate change. *Yield, Acreage Growth* Based on historic trends, today's study from the Global Harvest Initiative projected rising soybean acreage in Brazil and India, while corn planting will increase in China, where rice will decline. Farmland will drop in China and the US, while remaining little changed in Europe, according to the study. The initiative group was formed last year by the companies, which all have agribusiness units, to promote crop-yield and food-production increases. The organisation supports biotechnology and genetically engineered foods as a way to reduce the amount of land needed for agriculture. Global daily calorie consumption per person is expected to rise 19 per cent to 3,226 by 2050 from current levels, according to the study. In Asia, people will eat more meat and vegetable oil, while in Africa, more grains and oils will be consumed, the study projects. India is a "wild card," according to the study, because of a cultural bias against eating beef and pork. Overall grain consumption will rise 5 per cent, based on calories consumed by each person, by 2050, while the proportion of grain-based calories in the average diet will fall to 41 per cent from 48 per cent currently, according to the study. The report issued today was prepared by IHS Global Insight, a subsidiary of Englewood, Colorado-based IHS Inc., which provides research and consulting services. Kruse is a managing director of the unit's agricultural group. To post in e-group, e-mail bic at searcaweb.org. To UNSUBSCRIBE, click here . [image: Subscribe A Friend] [image: Subscribe A Friend] [image: ISAAA Celebrates the Life of its Founding Patron, Nobel Peace Laureate] *Tokyo University of Agriculture, SEARCA strengthen ties through joint scholarships * *New SEARCA book zeroes in on climate change and biodiversity link* *---------------------------------------------------------* *Download available paper and/or presentation handouts of some notable speakers presented at SEARCA Agriculture and Development Series. CLICK HERE. * *---------------------------------------------------------* *Food Security Expo 2010* *Kuwait 11 - 12 April 2010* *BIO International Convention* *Chicago, United States 03 - 06 May 2010* *------------------------------- JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT SEARCA: * *Training Associate cum Project Coordinator View details here* *Project Coordinator View details here* *Publications Specialist View details here* *Head, Knowledge Resources Unit View details here* ** ** *SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center College 4031, Laguna, Philippines Tel +63 49 536 2290 ext 406/169 Fax +63 49 536 4105 E-mail: bic at searca.org* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: