Wilmington, Delaware
July 28, 2005
DuPont today announced the addition of Mr. Chebet Maikut to
its external Biotechnology Advisory Panel.
Mr. Maikut is the president of the
Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE), one of the largest
farmer organizations in Uganda. He joins the ranks of
seven other distinguished panel members who bring important and
diverse viewpoints to the broad area of biotechnology and its
application in agriculture, food and bio-based materials.
"Chebet Maikut's knowledge of
African agriculture will provide valuable insight into
biotechnology policy and acceptance from the perspective of a
developing country and market," said DuPont Chairman and CEO
Charles O.
Holliday, Jr. "He brings a strong voice that represents
both African opinions on biotechnology as well as prospective
customer segments in this emerging market."
As a farmer in the Kapchorwa
District, Uganda, Maikut is no stranger to the challenges facing
African growers. He has dedicated his career to empowering
others to create a better quality of life through the
development of a sustainable African agricultural industry.
In addition to his role at the UNFFE, Maikut holds several other
leadership positions, including vice president, Eastern Africa
Farmers Federation (EAFF) and member of the Interim Panel of
Eminent Experts to the Global Crop Diversity Trust. He is
also an active participant of the CGIAR Sub-Saharan Challenge
Program.
Formerly, Maikut was chairman of
the International Federation of Agricultural Producers'
Committee on Science and Technology; a District Councilor,
Constituent Assembly (CAD) and a member of Parliament (MP) in
the National Assembly of Uganda representing Kween in the
Kapchorwa District. Before then, he worked with the Republic of
Uganda Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries
(MAAIF).
Established in 2000, the DuPont
external Biotechnology Advisory Panel is an independent panel
charged with providing counsel to guide DuPont's actions, help
create positions on important issues, as well as challenge the
organization in the development, testing and commercialization
of new products based on biotechnology.
In addition to Maikut, the other
panel members include:
- Dr. Marcelo
Carvalho de Andrade, an accomplished advocate of sustainable
community development and environmental preservation and
restoration. He is the founding chairman of
Pro-Natura, the first international, nongovernmental
organization headquartered in the Southern Hemisphere to
specialize in sustainable development.
- Professor
Chunming Chen, founding president of the Chinese Center for
Disease Control and Prevention and currently senior advisor
and professor of nutrition. Professor Chen is an
internationally recognized expert in nutrition.
- Dr. Pablo
Eyzaguirre, senior scientist for anthropology and
socio-economics in the Genetic Resources Science and
Technology group of the International Plant Genetic
Resources Institute (IPGRI) based in Rome. Dr.
Eyzaguirre is a specialist in social and ecological
anthropology, tropical farming systems, and agrarian
institutions.
- Father Kevin
T. FitzGerald, S.J., Ph.D., research associate professor in
the Department of Oncology at Georgetown University Medical
Center. Father FitzGerald is internationally known and
sought after for his expertise in human
genetic engineering, cloning and stem cell research.
- Carol Tucker
Foreman, well-known and respected consumer advocate and a
distinguished fellow and director of the Consumer Federation
of America's Food Policy Institute. Foreman has had a
major impact on diet and health in the United States over
the last 25 years.
- Dr. V.
Prakash, director of the Central Food Technological Research
Institute (CFTRI) in Mysore, India. He is
internationally known for his work in sustainable food and
nutrition security. As a scientist in the area of
biotechnology, Dr. Prakash has won a large number of awards
and is a member of several international committees.
- Dr. Sven
Thormahlen, vice president of the Research and Development
Organization of the Danone Group, a world leading company in
the field of dairy products, biscuits and mineral water.
Thormahlen's experience covers product research, product
development, clinical studies and quality assurance.
The work of the advisory panel is
facilitated by the Keystone Center, a non-profit organization
based in Keystone, Colo., which includes a regular audit of
DuPont's progress in the biotechnology arena. This public
report is
available at
http://www2.dupont.com/Biotechnology/en_US/difference/advisory.html
.
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better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere.
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