Aleppo, Syria
September 12, 2007
Representatives and scientists
from ministries of agriculture and environment from 16 countries
and three international organizations participated in the “Regional
Consultation on Biotechnology and Biosafety for Agriculture and
Environment in the West Asia and North Africa Sub-region,”
held at ICARDA, Aleppo,
Syria, 8-10 September. Co-sponsored by FAO, UNEP and ICARDA, the
objective of this workshop was to develop, through a
participatory approach, a proposal for an integrated regional
framework on biotechnology and biosafety involving major
stakeholders.
Opening the workshop, Dr Mahmoud Solh, Director General of
ICARDA, said that biotechnology offers the potential to deliver
a new and more sustainable way of producing more food to meet
the increasing demand in developing countries, but it must be
nutritionally and environmentally safe. To increase the benefits
from biotechnology and to reduce its negative impact, we need to
rapidly evolve a clear regulatory biosafety framework through
which to bring biotechnology products to the grower and
consumer. Biosafety regulation is an integral part of the
development of any transgenic variety, he said. Dr Solh
expressed hope that the deliberations of the meeting would help
develop and strengthen biosafety capacity, and promote the use
of agricultural biotechnology in a manner that would pave the
way for better environmental sustainability through the
implementation of national biosafety frameworks.
Dr Kakoli Ghosh, representing the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO), said that FAO was seeking to establish
linkages between agriculture and environment to deal with the
challenges of biosafety. “Biotechnology holds great promise for
conservation and sustainable use of plant diversity. In this
context biosafety acquires greater meaning. We would like to
find a way to handle biosafety in an integrated manner to deal
with needs of both agriculture and environment. Action-oriented
programs and regional and national initiatives on biosafety are
required to ensure that all stakeholders get the best benefit of
biotechnology development,” she said.
Dr Fee Chon Chong, Manager of UNEP/GEF Projects on the
Implementation of National Biosafety Frameworks, said biosafety
should not be seen as an obstacle in the development of
biotechnology, which can answer surmountable problems in the
field of agriculture and health. Biosafety is necessary to
ensure that farmers are not poorer by adopting new technologies,
she said. Dr Chong added that this is the first time such a
broad-based consultation, involving ministries of agriculture,
ministries of environment, multi-institutional and
multi-organizational representatives, is taking place.
Dr Michael Baum, ICARDA’s Biotechnologist, made a presentation
on regional cooperation on biotechnology and biosafety. “ There
is a need for establishing a network that allows formalized and
structured cooperation between leading research institutes in
the region on biotechnology and biosafety. This would also help
avoid duplication of efforts and increase cooperation between
research centers,” Dr Baum said.
Some countries in the region have already implemented their
national biosafety framework or are in the process of developing
it.
From Egypt, Dr Taymour Nasr El-Din, Director, Agricultural
Genetic Engineering Research Institute (AGERI), said that the
work on developing biosafety regulations had started early in
Egypt with assistance from USAID. “Egypt could contribute to the
regional biosafety framework through its experience in technical
aspects of handling transgenic material. We have trained staff
and accumulated knowledge in this field,” he said.
Iran has also established a National Biosafety Council. “We are
now focusing on sugar beet, date palm, potato, alfalfa and some
other plants. The work on Bt rice is at an advanced stage and it
is in the process of getting permission from the National
Biosafety Council of Iran for commercial release,’’ Dr Mojtaba
Khayam Nekoye, Director, Agriculture Biotechnology Research
Institute of Iran (ABRI), said.
It was apparent from the presentations of country
representatives that so far no transgenic crop variety has been
commercialized in the participating countries. The consultation
concluded by forming a follow-up committee representing all
stakeholders, to develop a regional project for GEF’s
consideration to enhance capacity in biotechnology and biosafety
as well as to harmonize biosafety regulations across West Asia
and North Africa.
The participants unanimously commended the outcome of the
consultation.
Established in 1977, ICARDA
is one of the 15 international research centers supported by the
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR). ICARDA serves the entire developing world for the
improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area
developing countries for the on-farm management of water,
improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants
(sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of
rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North Africa
(CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of
durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and
farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of the
natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.
The Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is a strategic
alliance of countries, international and regional organizations,
and private foundations supporting15 international research
centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote
sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty,
improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the
environment. |
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