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</font></font><a class="date"><em><font color="#666666" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Posted 26 January 2009</font></em></a><br><br><a class="country"><font color="#336600" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">PHILIPPINES</font></a><font size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> <br>
1-GOV'T TO RELEASE NUTRIENT-RICH CORN VARIETY <br>2-BIODIVERSITY LOSS: THE FORGOTTEN CRISIS <br>3-BIOTECH CROPS TO HELP REDUCE MALNUTRITION PUSHED <br>4-UP DOMINATES DOST-BPI SCIENCE AWARDS <br><br></font><a class="country"><font color="#336600" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">JAPAN</font></a><font size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> <br>
5-JAPANESE RESEARCHERS ENVISAGE NICOTINE-FREE TOBACCO <br><br></font><a class="country"><font color="#336600" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">PAKISTAN</font></a><font size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> <br>
6-GOVT IN TALKS TO BUY Bt COTTON SEED <br><br></font><a class="country"><font color="#336600" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">GLOBAL</font></a><font size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> <br>7-SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY <br>
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<div align="left"><br><font size="2"><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>1-GOV'T TO RELEASE NUTRIENT-RICH CORN VARIETY</strong><br>by Melody M. Aguiba<br>24-January-2009 Manila Bulletin <br><br>The government is releasing a high-lysine open pollinated variety of white corn (OPV) that can boost nutrient enhancement in the diet of marginalized farmers producing some two million metric tons (MT) of white corn yearly. <br>
<br>A seed production tie-up has been entered by the Department of Agriculture and University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in producing the nutrient-rich corn. <br><br>It will be produced for commercial distribution after going through local suitability tests and improvement, according to UPLB Vice Chancellor-Research and Extension Enrico P. Supangco. <br>
<br>Called the "IPB Var 6," the corn has been originally produced by Mexico-based Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo (CIMMYT) or International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center. <br><br>It has been developed and propagated extensively in Ghana and other African countries and has already been adopted by several Asian countries. <br>
<br>"It is what we availed of from CIMMYT because we have people eating white corn like they do in Ghana," said Dr. Artemio M. Salazar, UPLB professor and former DA corn director, in an interview. <br><br>Most of those who take white corn for their staple are farmers themselves who set aside an amount from their harvest for their own food and their families. <br>
<br>DA will produce 10,000 bags of the white corn's seeds by perhaps May this year. <br><br>The nutrient-enhanced corn has high level of both lysine and tryptophan which are essential amino acids important in growth of livestock and poultry and even of human. Lysine content has been enhanced by around 100 percent in the white corn. <br>
<br>With this enhancement livestock raisers no longer need to put lysine or tryptophan additives on their feeds even as these additives prices have already become expensive in the market. <br><br>Aside from enhancing lysine and tryptophan content in corn for feed mills use, Salazar said the high-lysine white corn will benefit Philippine white corn-eating population found not only in Visayas and Mindanao but in Luzon including Cebu migrants in Quezon. <br>
<br>DA Undersecretary Dennis Araullo said planting of white corn is being extensively done over 100,000 hectares nationwide by DA and Philippine Coconut Authority over coconut areas for farmer-families own intake. <br><br>
Salazar said one other commercial use of white corn is for starch. White corn has advantage for use in starch because the color is already white, he said. Some producers of starch that use corn are found in Davao and Cagayan de Oro. <br>
<br>The IPV Var 6 has already been approved for propagation by the National Cooperative Testing of the Bureau of Plant Industry. <br><br>DA will be providing a subsidy to farmers in the purchase of their first bag of white corn. DA also funded the seed production. <br>
<br>But since this is an OPV rather than a hybrid whose seeds have to be purchased repeatedly since subsequent seeds from original hybrids do not retain the hybrid vigor, farmers do not need to keep on purchasing seeds. They normally store OPV seeds for future planting from their own harvest. <br>
<br><strong>------------------------------------------------------------</strong><br><strong>2-BIODIVERSITY LOSS: THE FORGOTTEN CRISIS</strong> <br>Nature for Life by Anabelle E. Plantilla <br>24-January-2009 </font></font><a target="_blank" href="http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/jan/24/yehey/opinion/20090124opi6.html"><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Manila Times</font></a><br>
<br><font size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The global recession, the Middle East crisis, the previous Melamine scare and now the salmonella issue have resonated deeply in the consciousness of people. But buried under these infamous issues is a less popular crisis with far greater implications than anyone can imagine—biodiversity loss. The Asean Center for Biodiversity (ACB), an intergovernmental regional center of excellence that facilitates coordination among the members of the Asean and with relevant national governments, regional and international organizations, has sounded the alarm bells for biodiversity loss. According to ACB, we are losing plants, animals and other species at unprecedented rates due to deforestation, large-scale mining, massive wildlife hunting and other irresponsible human activities. This poses a significant threat to our food security, health, livelihood, and the world's overall capacity to provide for our needs and those of future generations. <br>
<br>The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment published in 2005 reported that humans have increased extinction levels dramatically over the past decades at 100 to 1,000 times the normal background rate. In Southeast Asia alone, 1,312 out of 64,800 species are endangered. The Food and Agriculture Organization reported that out of more than 10,000 different plant species used for food by humans over the millennia, barely 150 species remain under cultivation. Of these, only 12 species provide 80 percent of the world's food needs and only four—rice, wheat, maize and potatoes—provide more than half of the energy requirements of humans. <br>
<br>Rod Fuentes, ACB executive director, says the remaining 9,850 other species, if they have not been lost already, are vulnerable. The ongoing food crisis, he explained, is testament to decades of misguided energy policies, extensive use of unsustainable agricultural practices, and wanton destruction of nature and damage to ecological services. <br>
<br>Health is another arena where the natural benefits of a healthy biodiversity are most obvious. The natural world holds the key to many medicinal resources and pharmaceutical drugs. If the world continues to lose around 13 million hectares of its forest cover every year, it would be difficult to develop better kinds of medicine to cure both existing and emerging illnesses. About 80 percent of the world's known biodiversity, many of which have medicinal value, could be found in forests. <br>
<br>According to the Center, apart from providing people with food and medicine, nature also offers a wide range of ecosystem services such as contribution to climate stability, maintenance of ecosystems, soil formation and protection, and pollution breakdown and absorption. Biodiversity is also a source of livelihood to millions of people as the economy of many communities is driven by the use of species in industries such as biotechnology, forestry, agriculture and fisheries. Moreover, biodiversity provides social benefits including recreation and tourism, as well as cultural and aesthetic values. <br>
<br>Fuentes says forgetting the biodiversity crisis is akin to cutting our lifeline to the world's natural treasures and reminds everyone that extinction is forever. With every species lost, the natural ecosystems we call home become biologically poorer. <br>
<br>With funding support from the European Union, the project facilitated collaboration among Asean member states for biodiversity-related initiatives. It is the first regional initiative to save the Asean's rich but highly threatened biodiversity. All Asean members are signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the first global agreement to cover the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. By signing the convention, they committed to reducing biodiversity loss by 2010—the International Year of Biodiversity. <br>
<br>With its slogan "Conserving Biodiversity, Saving Humanity," ACB performs its mandate through five components: program development and policy coordination, human and institutional capacity development, biodiversity information management, public and leadership awareness of biodiversity values; and sustainable financing mechanism. <br>
<br>To further bolster its efforts, ACB also forms alliances with key stakeholders in the regional and global levels. There is an urgent need to involve all sectors to save the region's endangered biodiversity. The issue may not be as hot as politics or the global financial crisis, but massive biodiversity loss will have a huge impact on the lives of hundreds of millions if left unsolved. ACB is optimistic that biodiversity faces a bright future if all sectors would work together to conserve it.<br>
<br><strong>------------------------------------------------------------</strong><br><strong>3-BIOTECH CROPS TO HELP REDUCE MALNUTRITION PUSHED</strong><br>23-January-2009 </font><a target="_blank" href="http://www.malaya.com.ph/jan23/agri2.htm"><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Malaya</font></a><br>
<br><font size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Agricultural biotechnology can help reduce hunger and malnutrition worldwide, particularly now that the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that the number of hungry people around the world has increased by 40 million.<br>
<br>Dr. Rhodora Aldemita, senior program officer of the International Service for the Acquisition of AgriBiotech Applications (ISAAA), stressed that biotechnology is a most viable alternative system to boost yields of crops that have been genetically enhanced to provide consumers with adequate nutrients. <br>
<br>Aldemita said agricultural biotechnology has succeeded in increasing yields while reducing dependence on chemical-based fertilizers, pesticides, nematicides, and herbicides.<br><br>She revealed that Filipino biotechnologists have already succeeded in arming crops with resistance to pests, like the development of papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) resistant papaya, the first of its kind in the world.<br>
<br>Many plant scientists have considered papaya as the most nutritious fruit on the planet and have encouraged more people to consume the fruit and thus reduce the incidence of malnutrition.<br><br>Among the most successful genetically modified crops in the country is Bacillus thuringiensis (B)t corn, which was introduced in Philippine farms in 2002.<br>
<br>Through advances in plant biotechnology, Aldemita said, it is now more than possible to improve the nutritional quality of food.<br><br>Numerous biotechnological studies to improve the nutritional quality of crops have been conducted and Vitamin A rice, or Golden Rice, is one example. <br>
<br>Work is also being done to develop maize with low phytic acid and increased iron absorption, canola and soybean seeds with increased lysine, an essential amino acid usually absent in grains, iron-rich rice with soybean ferritin gene, and potato with increased inulin, a low-calorie fiber for increased mineral absorption and colon-cancer prevention.<br>
<br>Not only does biotechnology increase the nutritional value of a crop, but it also helps in ensuring that the crops reach more people in their best state through the introduction of delayed ripening characteristics.<br>
<br>While food prices have dropped since early 2008, this development has not provided relief to the hungry in many impoverished nations, FAO assistant director-general Hafez Ghanem said. <br><br>To overcome this situation, FAO is promoting the wider cultivation of better-yielding, nutritious crops in developing nations.<br>
<br>Through access to better farming techniques and increased yield, many impoverished people, millions of whom are actually landless peasants, may be able to produce their own food and thus be spared from the pangs of hunger. <br>
<br><strong>------------------------------------------------------------</strong><br><strong>4-UP DOMINATES DOST-BPI SCIENCE AWARDS</strong> <br>by Anna Valmero<br>19-January-2009 </font><a target="_blank" href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090119-184306/UP-dominates-DOST-BPI-science-awards"><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">INQUIRER.net</font></a><br>
<br><font size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">MAKATI CITY, Philippines—The University of the Philippines Diliman continued its dominance at the annual Bank of the Philippine Islands-Department of Science and Technology (BPI-DOST) Science Awards with two studenst making it to the finals.<br>
<br>Physics student Mickhail Solon and biology student Marvin Masalunga, both from UP Diliman, were awarded first and second runner-up, respectively.<br><br>Meanwhile, Stephen Michael Co, a biology student at Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), won first runner-up.<br>
<br>In an interview, Solon said his research project titled, "Analysis of Selected Nonlinear and Non-local Systems," offers a platform for further studies on how sub-atomic particles behave in USB flash drives.<br><br>Solon said he is happy that the value of curiosity-driven research like his was recognized in this year's awards.<br>
<br>A fan of Albert Einstein and Richard Feynman, Solon said his study is "mainly a piece of fundamental research in theoretical physics," which he stressed is important in understanding how nature works."<br><br>When asked why he chose to do a research on physics, Solon replied: "Doing Physics is just as addicting, interesting, challenging and fun as playing with Lego when I was a young boy. Hard questions excite me."<br>
<br>Solon has already published his paper in science journal "Physics Letter" in 2008.<br><br>In the future, he plans to research on quantum mechanics and work in a biotech company before going to Cambridge University.<br>
<br>Meanwhile, Co is passionate about solving a 75-year-old problem in the local coconut industry, which led him to his work on "Design and Construction of a Synthetic Coconut Cadang Cadang Viroid cDNA."<br><br>A follower of programs in Discovery Channel, Co said 30 million palm trees are lost annually in the industry due to the "cadang cadang" disease, which causes the yellow-bronzing and broom-like appearance of coconut leaves, as well as stunted plant growth.<br>
<br>"The cadang cadang disease is unique to the Philippines. The challenge of finding a solution to the long-standing and under-studied problem has inspired me," Co said.<br><br>Co hopes further research on what he started would allay fears and concerns of countries that have barred Philippine coconuts.<br>
<br>Masalunga, for his part, said his molecular diagnostics study, dubbed "Genetic Diversity of Philippine Trichomonas vaginalis Isolates using the 5.8s Ribosomal RNA gene" marked the start of his search to find a solution to the cause of trichomoniasis, a commonly overlooked sexually transmitted disease.<br>
<br>"The rate of infection is alarming but we do not have enough information on the disease," Masalunga said.<br><br>His study involved collecting swab samples from sex workers in Angeles City, Pampanga with permission from the Department of Health, a local hospital and patients.<br>
<br>Other finalists this year include Physics student Stein Alec Baluyot of ADMU, Computer Engineering student Ryan Joseph Bitanga from De La Salle University and Biology student Bernard Demot of Saint Louis University.<br>
<br>"Together, we should look at the same value of science for the society and having the heart for social responsibility," said Ester Ogena, director of DOST-Science Education Institute, in an interview.<br><br>"This year, the support of BPI to three student researches in the 10 partner universities is P25,000 each, amounting to a total of P75,000 per school," added Ma. Celitas Jacob, associate director of BPI Foundation Inc.<br>
<br>On March 11, winners will receive their cash prizes of P50,000 for best project of the year, P30,000 for first runner up and P10,000 for second runner up.<br><br>The best project of the year will also receive P200,000 from DOST.<br>
<br><strong>------------------------------------------------------------</strong><br></font><font size="2"><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>JAPAN<br>5-JAPANESE RESEARCHERS ENVISAGE NICOTINE-FREE TOBACCO<br>
</strong>22-January-2009 </font></font><a target="_blank" href="http://www.physorg.com/news151832958.html"><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Physorg.com</font></a><br><br><font size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Japanese researchers said Thursday they had identified a gene that transports nicotine through tobacco plants, a discovery that could pave the way to cigarettes free of the carcinogen.<br>
<br>It was already known that tobacco plants produce nicotine in their roots and carry it to their leaves, but it is the first time in the world that a transporter gene was identified, according to one of the researchers.<br>
<br>Experts at Kyoto University's Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere found the gene Nt-JAT1 transports nicotine to vacuoles, or bags accumulating water and other substances in the cells of tobacco leaves.<br>
<br>They confirmed yeasts with Nt-JAT1 carry nicotine in experiments performed jointly with Ghent University of Belgium, the research team said in a statement.<br><br>The finding "raised the possibility of developing a variety of tobacco that does not store nicotine in its leaves," said the team led by professor Kazufumi Yazaki.<br>
<br>"This would enable smokers to stem nicotine addiction without using anti-smoking goods," it said, adding it would also be good for nonsmokers if tobacco smoke did not contain nicotine.<br><br>The transport gene could be used not only for the tobacco industry but also for medical and agricultural purposes, said Nobukazu Shitan, assistant professor at the Japanese institute who is in the team.<br>
<br>"I wonder if cigarettes containing little nicotine would sell well. But the gene could also transport compounds that could be used as medicine," he told AFP.<br><br>Nicotine is part of a group of commonly found compounds called alkaloids.<br>
<br>Some alkaloids derived from plants are used to treat cancer and the gene discovery could be used to encourage plants to build up higher levels of useful alkaloids, he said.<br><br>Several other genes are also believed to be involved in carrying nicotine through tobacco plants although research on those has yet to be completed, Shitan said.<br>
<br>The finding of the study will be published in the online version of the Proceedings of National Academy of Science this week. <em><strong>AFP</strong></em><br><br><strong>------------------------------------------------------------</strong><br>
</font><font size="2"><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>PAKISTAN<br>6-GOVT IN TALKS TO BUY Bt COTTON SEED<br></strong>by Shahid Shah<br>20-January-2009 2009 </font></font><a target="_blank" href="http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=157968"><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The International News</font></a><br>
<br><font size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">KARACHI: Pakistan is in the process of signing a $1bn agreement for the purchase of Bt cotton seed from Monsanto, a seed developing company of the United States, to increase its production by 40 per cent.<br>
<br>Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) is a live microorganism that kills unwanted insects from forests and agriculture crops. Provided in the cotton seed, it boosts the yield and protects the crop from most of the pest attacks.<br>
<br>Currently, farmers are using Bt cotton seed on around 2.7 million acres of land against total cotton cultivation over 8 million acres in the country. Bt cotton seed being sold in the country was smuggled and therefore illegal, said Federal Textile Adviser Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig.<br>
<br>Bt cotton seed being produced and consumed in Pakistan is from its first generation and plant insects can develop resistance power against it. Experts say once Bb cotton lost its resistance, the insect could damage the crop and the seed itself. Bt cotton seed requires continuous improvement in order to cope with growing immune power of insects.<br>
<br>Dr Baig met a French expert Pierre Louis Dupont last week, who has around 20 years of experience in cotton seed development. He offered the French expert to become Pakistan's consultant in its negotiations with Monsanto.<br>
<br>Dupont, in an interview with The News, said there was a need to supply second generation Bt cotton seed with weed control capability. With the use of Bt cotton seed, he said, yield could be increased by 40 per cent.<br>
<br>India has boosted its cotton production to 30 million bales from 18 million. Pakistan can increase it to around 18 million bales from the current 12 million. The textile adviser said they were going to improve the supply chain. In the last couple of years, cotton production was low and industrialists suffered due to imports. "Our requirement is 16 million bales but production was nearly 12 million bales. Thus, import reaches around 4 million bales. We can save $5 billion annually by increasing the yield," Baig said. "We can negotiate a package with Monsanto to get more effective results."<br>
<br>The package would include latest Bt cotton seed with weed control technology called 'Bollguard II with round-up ready flex', which would save up to $250 million spent on pest control.<br><br>According to preliminary talks with the company, it would charge $21 or Rs1,680 for sowing BT seeds over one acre. Of that amount, the company would return $4.2 or Rs336 to the farmer for research purpose.<br>
<br>"I wish this experience should have been done in 1996 like India did and we would have saved billions of rupees," said Dr Baig opposing usage of smuggled Bt cotton seed. "It can change the destiny of the nation either way."<br>
<br>He said it was his prime duty to examine all grey areas and close all gaps and loopholes. "I want to make it as transparent as possible as it is not my decision, but it is going to be the nation's decision." He called the expected deal 'a milestone' in agriculture in general and cotton cultivation in particular.<br>
<br>Growers have also welcomed the decision but have some reservations about seed distribution. Farmers Association of Pakistan's Director Brigadier (retired) Rasheed Baig said it was good to import hybrid seeds. However, he asked what guarantees the government would give to the farmers if pests attacked the crop and how the government would ensure the seed's availability at controlled rates.<br>
<br>Corruption in the supply of fertiliser supports this argument. Government-sponsored fertiliser-producing companies are selling urea at around Rs900 per bag against the set price of Rs660.<br><br>A grower of Bt cotton in Mianwali (Punjab), Khan Ameer Azam, supported the import of Bollguard II, saying if weeds, which swallowed around 25 per cent of fertiliser, were removed it would boost cotton production.<br>
<br>In Punjab and Sindh, he said, around 75 per cent of land was already cultivated with Bt cotton, but imports at the government level would be fine. He also expressed reservations about possible black-marketing of the seed.<br>
<br>Pakistan Kisan Ittehad President Jan Nisar Khalil suggested soil testing whether suitable for Bt cotton or would further damage the land. Bt cotton had not given good results in countries that tested it, he added.<br>
<br><strong>------------------------------------------------------------</strong><br></font><font size="2"><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>GLOBAL<br>7-SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY<br></strong>by Stacy Kish (CSREES Staff)<br>
21-January-2009 </font></font><a target="_blank" href="http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/impact/2009/nri/01211_biotechnology.html"><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">United States Department of Agriculture</font></a><br>
<br><font size="2" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Media Contact: <br>Jennifer Martin, (202) 720-8188<br><br>Biotechnology has the potential to substantially increase agricultural productivity, influence markets, and in some cases invent new uses for traditional crops. However, concerns accompany these potential benefits. A group of scientists from Virginia examined the benefits, costs, and risks associated with agricultural products arising from biotechnology research.<br>
<br>With funding from USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), George Norton and colleagues at Virginia Polytechnic Institute focused their study on two crops: tobacco and rice. They chose tobacco because research is underway to discover pharmaceutical uses for the crop. Rice was chosen because it is the subject of a large biotechnology program, with significant implications for U.S. producers, as well as for producers and low-income consumers in the developing world. <br>
<br>Norton's team assessed the costs and benefits of biotechnologies using economic models. Analyses for tobacco focused on three pharmaceutical products: glucerebrosidase (an enzyme for treating Gaucher Disease), human serum albumin (used as a substitute for blood plasma during surgery), and secretory IgA antibody (important in preventing tooth decay). The project team determined that pharmaceutical companies and patent holders would benefit from biotechnology research in tobacco crops, but the outcome for farmers and the public would be limited.<br>
<br>A world trade model was used to project the economic consequences of Asia and the United States implementing biotechnology to adopt cost-reducing genetically modified rice. The model considered the potential impacts of insect-, drought-, and herbicide-resistant genetically modified rice technologies. Projected total benefits from these three technologies was around $2 billion per year, but varied regionally; Asian countries benefited from genetically modified rice, while the United States experienced a small net loss. <br>
<br>Using a telephone survey, the project team assessed the perceived social impact from genetically modified crops, specifically insect-resistant rice and pharmaceutical-producing tobacco. Results suggest most people had strong feelings, positive or negative, toward biotechnologies. Willingness to support genetically modified crops varied with the levels of benefits—consumer support was greater for plant-based pharmaceuticals than for genetically modified food products. <br>
<br>Focus groups in the United States, the Philippines, and Bangladesh elicited stakeholder views or concerns about the potential benefits and costs of obtaining pharmaceutical products from genetically modified crops. The focus group also interviewed tobacco manufacturers, tobacco and rice producers, private biotech firms, environmentalists, government regulators, clergy, students, World Bank representatives, university and government researchers, and consumers. The project team found most citizens of Asian countries were unaware of biotechnology risk or benefit. U.S. farmers are open to the idea of genetically modified crops, but fear a backlash that could negatively affect crop prices. <br>
<br>Educational materials and fact sheets with more details about project findings are available at <a href="http://www.agecon.vt.edu/biotechimpact/">http://www.agecon.vt.edu/biotechimpact/</a>.<br><br>This project provides beneficial information about the public's view of genetically modified agricultural crops in the United States and abroad. It also explored impacts on these crops of U.S policies and regulations, and provides greater clarity on the appropriate roles of the public versus the private sector in biotechnology research and development. <br>
<br>CSREES funded this research through the Initiative for Future Agricultural and Food Systems program. Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, CSREES focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues affecting people's daily lives and the nation's future. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.csrees.usda.gov">www.csrees.usda.gov</a>.<br>
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<td bgcolor="#fcfdce" valign="top" width="184"><br><a class="events" target="_blank" href="http://www.searca.org/web/news/2009/jan/web/05.html"><font color="#336600" size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Lessons from a DL Umali Awardee</strong></font></a><font size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> <br>
<br></font><a class="events" target="_blank" href="http://www.searca.org/web/news/2008/dec/web/08.html"><font color="#336600" size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>GM crops' socioeconomic and environmental impacts, to be discussed in international conference</strong></font></a><font size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> <br>
<br></font><a class="events" target="_blank" href="http://www.searca.org/web/news/2008/dec/web/02.html"><font color="#336600" size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>SEARCA scholars convene for an international conference </strong></font></a><br>
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</font><a class="events" target="_blank" href="http://www.searca.org/web/adss/2008/index.html"><font color="#336600" size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Download available paper and/or presentation handouts of some notable speakers presented at SEARCA Agriculture and Development Series. CLICK HERE.</strong></font></a><font size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> <br>
</font><a class="events"><font color="#336600" size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>--------------------------------------------------------- <br>JOB VACANCY <br>SEARCA Director <br>Deadline of Application: 14 February 2009 (via e-mail) or 16 February 2009 (via courier/post) </strong></font></a><br>
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<a class="events_details"><font color="#666666" size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>by Mr. Wilfredo E. Cabezon, Chair, National Strategic Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zone, DA-BSWM<br>Drilon Hall, SEARCA, College, Laguna, Philippines<br>
27 January 2009, 4:00 - 5:00 PM</strong></font></a><br><br><a class="events" target="_blank" href="http://www.searca.org/web/training/courses/2009/environmental_economics/"><font color="#336600" size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>5th Executive Forum on NRM: Environmental Economics for Decision-making</strong></font></a><br>
<a class="events_details" target="_blank" href="http://www.searca.org/web/training/courses/2009/environmental_economics/"><font color="#666666" size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>SEARCA, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines<br>
23 - 27 March 2009<br>Course Brochure | Flyer | Registration Form | Expression of Interest | Special Rates</strong></font></a><br><br><a class="events" target="_blank" href="http://www.searca.org/web/news/2008/dec/web/08.html"><font color="#ff6600" size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Measures of Hope and Promises Delivered: An International Conference on Socioeconomic and Environmental Impact Assessment of Genetically Modified (GM) Crops</strong></font></a><br>
<a class="events_details"><font color="#666666" size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Bangkok, Thailand<br>21 - 22 April 2009</strong></font></a><br><br><font color="#336600" size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>------------------------------------------------------------</strong></font><font size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><br>
</font><a class="events" target="_blank" href="http://www.biotec.or.th/biotechnology-en/newsdetail.asp?id=4709"><font color="#336600" size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>CALL FOR APPLICATION <br><br>BIOTEC, Thailand: Human Resource Development Program in Biotechnology 2009<br>
Deadline for application: 15 March 2009</strong></font></a><font size="1" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> <br></font></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr>
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