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<div><font color="#666666" size="1"><img src="http://www.bic.searca.org/e-news/images/inthenews.jpg"><br><br></font><a class="date"><em><font color="#666666" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Posted 09 December 2008</font></em></a><br>
<br><a class="title" target="_blank" href="http://www.searca.org/web/news/2008/dec/web/08.html"><font color="#336600" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>GM CROPS' SOCIOECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, TO BE DISCUSSED IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE</strong></font></a><font size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> <br>
</font><a class="date"><em><font color="#666666" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">by Roberta V. Gerpacio, RDD-SEARCA <br>8-December-2008 SEARCA News Release</font></em></a><br><br><font size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">SEARCA, in collaboration with the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI, Washington DC), will conduct a two-day international conference titled, "Measures of Hope and Promises Delivered: An International Conference on Socioeconomic and Environmental Impact Assessment of Genetically Modified (GM) Crops." It will be held on April 21-22, 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand. <br>
<br>The conference aims to provide a better understanding of the methodologies, tools, insights, and experiences in examining the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of adopting biotechnology applications, particularly GM crops. It will also examine the factors that encourage or hinder the development and diffusion of new agricultural biotechnologies, and the institutional arrangements and/or policy environment influencing them. </font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><br>There will be five thematic sessions focusing on:<br><br>• Tools of the Trade: Methodological Tools and Approaches<br>• Scanning the Horizon: Sharing of Experiences in Socioeconomic Impact Assessment of Genetically Modified Crops<br>
• Going Beyond the Technology: Looking at the Environmental and Health<br>• Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops<br>• The X-Factor: The Costs of Biosafety Regulations<br>• Makeovers: Integrating Results of Socioeconomic Impact Assessment into the Decision-making Process<br>
<br>Policymakers, technology researchers and developers from the private sector, and actors from the academe and non-government organizations would be invited to attend the event. By bringing together an international multi-stakeholder group, it is expected that priority areas in research, capacity building, and doable policy options that will help strengthen public policy on agricultural biotechnology will be identified by the end of the conference.<br>
<br>For more details, contact:<br><br><strong>DR. ARNULFO G. GARCIA</strong><br>Manager<br>Research and Development Department<br>SEARCA, College, Los Baños, Laguna 4031 Philippines<br>E-mail: </font><a target="_blank" href="mailto:agg@agri.searca.org"><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">agg@agri.searca.org</font></a><br>
<br><font size="2"><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>ROBERTA V. GERPACIO</strong><br>Project Development Specialist<br>E-mail: </font></font><a target="_blank" href="mailto:rvg@agri.searca.org"><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">rvg@agri.searca.org</font></a><br>
<font size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Tel: +63 49 536-2290 loc 137/159<br>Fax: +63 49 536-4105</font><br><br><a class="footer"><font color="#666666" size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
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