Chinese government promotes benefits of biotechnology

According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech (ISAAA), the State Councilor of China, Liu Yandong, expressed the Chinese Government’s support for biotechnology and its important role in feeding the world at the 2011 International Conference for Bioeconomy (BioEco) held in Tianjin, China.

Mr. Liu said, “Biotechnology is one of the most promising and dynamic areas of science and technology. Every step forward for biotechnology will have a far-reaching influence on human health, economy, and social development. The Chinese Government is willing to join hands with other countries to promote biotechnology and bio-industry.” Read more.

Report: UK House of Lords calls on EU to support biotech innovation

The UK’s House of Lords Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment EU Subcommittee released a report on innovation in EU agriculture that urges policymakers to support biotechnology. The findings of a year-long investigation into EU agriculture emphasize the importance of increased investment in scientific research and a more “innovation-friendly” regulatory approach. Read the full report.

Want to learn more about ag biotech? Check out the stories below to read the news we thought was important this week!

 Supreme Court lifts the ban on GM Alfalfa Seeds

The Supreme Court decided to overturn a lower court’s ban on planting genetically modified alfalfa seeds on Monday, a sweeping victory for Monsanto Co. in what was the first ruling by the Supreme Court over genetically modified organism (GMO) crops. The ruling, a 7-1 decision, allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to consider a partial deregulation of alfalfa during the time when USDA is completing its Environmental Impact Statement, which is necessary before full deregulation of the genetically engineered alfalfa at issue in the case can occur.

 Expert says Australia should focus on wheat breeding technologies, including GM Wheat

At an International Grains Council Conference, Peter Reading, managing director of Australia’s Grains Research and Development Corporation said that Australia should focus its energies on wheat breeding technologies, including GM wheat, in order to address the decline rates in Australia’s wheat productivity growth.  However, GM wheat is not expected to be available for another ten years.

 Lack of communication between scientists and public, Jia Hepeng says

In a piece Thursday on how well scientists inform the public about food safety, Jia Hepeng said that China’s conflict over genetically modified crops can only be resolved through improved communication between scientists and the public. Citing events such as the Ministry of Agriculture’s announcement that it had issued biosafety licenses to two pest-resistant rice varieties and one phystaze maize, Hepeng calls for more refined, reader-friendly ways of presenting ongoing research on GM crops and better systems for decision-making, regulation, and monitoring.

Just this past week China’s government issued safety certificates to domestically developed strains of biotech rice and maize after years of review and testing.   This decision is significant as China is the world’s top producer of rice, yielding about 30% of the world’s rice, and the second largest maize producer after the US.

China’s signal of support for agricultural biotechnology has the potential to lead to greater adoption and acceptance of biotech crops globally.

The Wall Street Journal reported on China’s decision. You can read the article here.

Yesterday, several experts discussed the role of biotechnology in agricultural production. Here are some of their thoughts on the future of sustainable agriculture and biotechnology.

Jason Clay, SVP, Market Transformation, WWF – Talapia and catfish, both farm-raised, will be the “next white meat.” They require fewer natural resources than livestock and produce the needed daily protein requirement. Also, we’ll need to invest in tropical trees since many of our food products will come from tropical trees. We’ll need to invest in palm trees, cacoa trees, cassava, and sorghum.

Weibin Yin, CEO, Longping High-Tech Agriculture – We’ll need to look at policies that support better pricing of commodity crops to make farming and agriculture profitable.

William Dar, Director General, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics – We will need to invest in dry-land crops grown in regions where the most vulnerable populations live. Crops like sorghum and millet would benefit from further biotech research.

Seyfu Ketema, Exec. Director, Assoc. for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa – In Africa, sorghum and millet are very important. We will need to increase production of these crops.

Finally, Ms. H. E. Gerda Verburg, Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, The Netherlands, quoted Namibia’s Minister of the Environment, “If you do what you did, you get what you’ve got.” She reiterated that nations, public and private sector industries, multilateral organizations, farm organizations and all stakeholders will need to work together to meet critical food needs while practicing sound environmental stewardship. She urged everyone not to continue with the status quo.

Seventeen farmers from around the world gathered for the Global Farmer-to-Farmer Roundtable as part of the World Food Prize Symposium events held in Des Moines, Iowa this week. In its fourth year, the purpose of the gathering is to bring together a diverse group of farmers representing both small and large-scale farms to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the world’s food producers.

The Roundtable is organized by Truth About Trade and Technology and, this year, is sponsored by the Biotechnology Industry Organization and the Council for Biotechnology Information. As population grows and demand challenges our ability to meet food needs, what are the longterm strategies and technologies used by global farmers to feed the world? Farmers from as far away as Kenya, South Africa, India, China and Australia are meeting to discuss the agricultural needs in their communities. Farmers and agricultural experts from the UK, Ireland, Portugal, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Honduras, Argentina and the U.S. are also part of the group and each bring a unique perspective on their local agricultural needs. Nations struggling with the question of how to feed more people, sustainably and in harmony with the environment, need only to listen to what some of these farmers have to say.

Here’s what these farmers are saying:

KENYA: Small-scale farmers provide approximately 70 percent of the food for the country. We need access to all technologies to enable us to feed people. This includes agricultural biotechnology, irrigation technology, zero-tillage technology.The government needs to support this.

SOUTH AFRICA: We have the technology and the demand for the food produced, but there’s a lack of support and incentives for investing in R & D and training the next generation of farmers. The cost of farming is prohibitive.

INDIA: We are losing the next generation of farmers as people move to the cities for better education and jobs. In addition to technology, we need incentives for our young people to pursue farming and make it profitable. We can have all the technology in the world, but without people to use it, we won’t have food.

MEXICO: We need a level playing field for all farmers. We cannot deny some farmers access to technologies; those who have the technology cannot fairly compete with those who do. Also, the conversation needs to be more scientific. We need to talk about biotechnology with less emotion and more science.

PORTUGAL: In Europe, we are 10 years behind the U.S. because of all the restrictions and the EU trying to make decisions for all countries regarding use of biotech seeds. We need to make our own choices for using the technology.

IRELAND: In addition to new technologies for plants, we must also consider the health of the soil that we grow our food on.  We need to understand the soil science better.

CHINA: Investments in agriculture is also an investment in our food security. When we grow enough to feed our people, then we know where our food comes from and we have a secure food supply. We have approved the use of biotech rice but it is not yet commercially available.

Stay tuned for more updates on the Roundtable as we move into Day 2. And coming in the next day or so, don’t miss posts/updates on Bill Gates’ first-ever speech on agriculture and global development as well as presentations by Jeffrey Sachs and U.S Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

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