Source: Crop Biotech Update
The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) has requested to withdraw the backup seeds that they deposited in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault to restart their collection away from the ongoing conflict in their previous home in Aleppo, Syria. ICARDA is currently based in Beirut, Lebanon, and requesting seeds from their gene bank in Aleppo is getting more and more difficult.
Biotech crops changed the destiny of a single mum struggling to educate her children. Rosalie Ellasus believes it can change the way Philippine women earn their livelihoods.
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The Ministry of Agriculture of China through its website has issued a statement saying that all certified genetically modified foods that are sold on the Chinese market are safe. China has established a safety supervision system that covers the complete chain of GM products, including research, production and trading, according to the ministry.
Source: Crop Biotech Update (www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate)
Agri-biotech companies are required to invest in GM corn production plants in Vietnam in the next 4 to 5 years to get a license to sell the product in the country. This requirement was mentioned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in a circular as they are drafting guidelines to control GM crops in the country and avoid dependence on GM seed imports from other countries.
Source: Crop Biotech Update (www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate)
Mr. Sharad Pawar, India‘s former Union Minister of Agriculture pitches for field trials of GM crops and has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in clearing the policy paralysis and regulatory uncertainty for GM crops. Mr. Pawar said that in India, GM crops, including Bt brinjal and corn are ready for release, while field trials of other GM crops have been stopped. Continue reading…
Source: Crop Biotech Update (www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate)
Through various activities, participants gain first-hand experience of how biotech crops are developed, regulated by the government, and managed at the farm level. Although the institutions and farms visited may vary, three elements form the core of the program every year.
Theory – forum with biotech experts. The program features a series of interactive presentations on different components of agricultural biotechnology. These include seminars and technical briefings on biotech basics, biosafety regulations and specific biotech crops such as insect-protected (Bt) corn and herbicide-tolerant corn.
Research – increasing biotech research appreciation. This component shows how biotech crops are developed before they are cultivated in farms. Visits are made to laboratories, greenhouses and research trial locations at the facilities of major international and national research centers. For example, in the Philippines, participants visit the International Rice Research Institute, the Philippine Rice Research Institute, the Philippine Carabao Center, and the University of the Philippines Los Banos – Institute of Plant Breeding.
Crops – featuring interaction with biotech farmers. Participants visit commercial farms planted with biotech and non-biotech crops. They interact with local biotech farmers who have experienced the technology, and learned its impact to their farms, livelihood, family and community. Visiting multiple farms allows participants to see how biotechnology is used along with other conventional farming practices in different soils, geographies and climates.