Source: FAO-BiotechNews newsletter
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
World Information and Early Warning System on PGRFA (WIEWS)

Excerpts relevant for seed professionals
(all news items to be found at http://www.fao.org/biotech/news_list.asp?Cat=131)

Plant breeding and biotechnology capacity: Reports of national surveys and a regional workshop

As part of a global survey that FAO is carrying out to assess plant breeding and related biotechnology capacity, draft reports on national plant breeding and associated biotechnology surveys are now available for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Macedonia and Zambia. In addition, as part of the same initiative, FAO organised a regional workshop on 11-12 April 2006 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, entitled "Assessing and designing strategies to strengthen national plant breeding and related biotechnology capacity in Central Asia", in collaboration with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). For the workshop report, as well as the national survey reports, see the "What's new" section of http://apps3.fao.org/wiews/wiews.jsp or contact elcio.guimaraes@fao.org for more information. The global survey is being carried out to assist in designing strategies to strengthen national and regional abilities to use plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

Proceedings of CABI 15th Review Conference

On 21-23 April 2004, CAB International's 15th Review Conference was held in Beijing, China. Proceedings of the conference are now available on the web, including a Special Presentation (pages 22-32) by He Changchui, the FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, entitled "Directing biotechnology towards the needs of the poor and sustainable agriculture".
See http://www.cabi.org/pdfs/ReviewConf2004.pdf (747 KB) or contact FAO-RAP@fao.org for more information.

Information Network on Post-harvest Operations

The latest newsletter (February 2006) from the Information Network on Post-harvest Operations (INPhO) is now available, providing information on recent publications and decision-making tools that are available on the INPhO website. These include 2 new chapters in the "Compendium on Post-harvest Operations" (on pineapple, in English and Spanish, and grapes) as well as 4 toolkits covering processing of cereals; fruits and vegetables; oilseeds; and roots and tubers. Each toolkit is a practical package that can be used by small and medium scale food processors to establish or improve a food processing enterprise, primarily in developing countries. It includes e.g.
information on processing details for fermented cereal doughs, that are traditional staple products in many developing countries, or on use of fermentation in roots and tubers, the most important step during the processing of cassava and high-alkaloid varieties of potato. See http://www.fao.org/inpho or contact inpho@fao.org for more information.

Advance version of COP-MOP 3 decisions (Cartagena Protocol)

An advance version of the decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its 3rd meeting serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP 3), that took place on 13-17 March 2006 in Curitiba, Brazil, is now available.
The 65-page document is still subject to final editing and clearance.
See http://www.biodiv.org/doc/meetings/bs/mop-03/mop-03-decision-advance-en.pdf (361 KB) or contact secretariat@biodiv.org for more information.

UN-Biotech meeting

The 3rd meeting of UN-Biotech took place on 16 May 2006 in Geneva, Switzerland, in conjunction with the 9th regular session of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development. UN-Biotech is an inter-agency cooperation network on biotechnology which was set up by UN agencies undertaking biotechnology-related activities, following a recommendation of the UN Secretary-General for an integrated framework for biotechnology development. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has coordinated the network since its launch in 2004.
See background to the meeting at
http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Meeting.asp?intItemID=2068&lang=1&m=11878&year=2006&month=5 
or contact menelea.masin@unctad.org for more information.

UNCTAD study on concentration in the agricultural input industries

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has recently published "Tracking the trend towards market concentration: The case of the agricultural input industry", a study prepared by the UNCTAD secretariat. The 60-page report aims to first define a methodology and construct a measure of concentration of, and explore emerging patterns in, the agricultural input industries. Section I assesses concentration in the agrochemical industry while Sections II and III explore the patterns of consolidation in the seed industry and in agricultural biotechnology respectively. See http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/ditccom200516_en.pdf (795 KB) or contact olivier.matringe@unctad.org for more information.

World Bank papers - GM cotton

As part of its Policy Research Working Paper series, the World Bank has recently published 2 studies on genetically modified cotton. The first, paper 3917, is entitled "Recent and prospective adoption of genetically modified cotton: A global computable general equilibrium analysis of economic impacts" by K. Anderson, E. Valenzuela and L.A. Jackson. The second, paper 3918, is entitled "The World Trade Organization's Doha cotton initiative: A tale of two issues" by K. Anderson and E. Valenzuela. The Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about development issues. See
http://econ.worldbank.org/resource.php?type=5 or contact research@worldbank.org for more information.

OECD biotechnology statistics - 2006

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has just published "OECD biotechnology statistics - 2006" by B. van Beuzekom and A. Arundel. The 157-page report includes data for 23 OECD countries and 2 observer countries, plus China (Shanghai) and comparable indicators given include the number of biotechnology firms, business expenditures on biotechnology research and development (R&D), biotechnology R&D in the public sector, biotechnology employment, and sales of biotechnology goods and services, plus patents, venture capital, genetically modified (GM) crop hectares and GM field trials. See http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/51/59/36760212.pdf (850 KB) or contact icgb@oecd.org for more information.

OECD Biotechnology Update nr. 16

Issue number 16 (May 2006) of the OECD Biotechnology Update is now available.
It provides updated information on the diverse activities at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) related to biotechnology.
The 23-page newsletter contains items on news, recent and future events, recent and future publications (many are available free of charge) and provides web and e-mail contacts for the different areas of activity. The previous issue was published in July 2005. See http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/27/45/36731445.pdf (180 KB) or contact icgb@oecd.org for more information.

IPGRI publication on DNA banks

As part of its Topical Reviews in Agricultural Biodiversity series, the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) has recently published "DNA banks - providing novel options for genebanks?", edited by M.C. de Vicente. The 10 chapters of this 84-page publication cover a wide range of topics related to DNA banks such as the current global status of plant genetic resources DNA banking activities; the importance of DNA storage for the conservation of species; best practices and experiences with preservation of DNA samples; the role of bioinformatics; the usefulness of DNA banks as a primary resource for conservation research; DNA banking of animal genetic resources; and the opportunities, limitations and needs for DNA banking from the perspective of developing countries. See http://www.ipgri.cgiar.org/publications/pdf/1110.pdf (881 KB) or contact ipgri-publications@cgiar.org for more information.

IFPRI discussion papers on regulation of GMOs

As part of its EPT (Environment and Production Technology Division) Discussion Papers series, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has recently published "A gap analysis of confined field trial application forms for genetically modified crops in East Africa: Evaluating the potential for harmonization" by N.A. Linacre and J.I. Cohen. See http://www.ifpri.org/divs/eptd/dp/papers/eptdp149.pdf (302 KB) or contact ifpri-ept@cgiar.org for more information. IFPRI Division Discussion Papers contain preliminary material and research results and are circulated in order to stimulate discussion and critical comment.

All news items to be found at http://www.fao.org/biotech/news_list.asp?Cat=131