East Lansing, Michigan
February 25, 2008
The
New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and
Michigan State University today
announced a $1.5 million grant to MSU from the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation to bolster Africa’s biosafety expertise.
The partners will develop the African Biosafety Network of
Expertise (ABNE) to help regulators access the most up-to-date
training, data and resources needed to properly regulate
biotechnologies, ensuring countries are able to take full
advantage of advances while safeguarding consumers and the
environment.
The ABNE will be developed under the Biosciences Initiative,
which comprises a cluster of life sciences flagship programs of
the Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action,
an African-led plan endorsed by the African Union (AU) Heads of
State and Government. The grant will support the first phase of
a long-term project. The NEPAD-MSU partnership will collaborate
with Development Alternatives Inc. to ensure the network meets
local and regional needs.
“This project will allow African countries to start implementing
some of the recommendations of the AU/NEPAD High Level Panel on
Biotechnology,” said John Mugabe, director of NEPAD’s Office of
Science and Technology.
The establishment of appropriate regulatory measures was a key
recommendation in a recent report by the AU/NEPAD High Level
Panel on Modern Biotechnology. The report, “Freedom to Innovate:
Biotechnology in Africa’s Development,” was commissioned by
African Union heads of state and recommended such measures to
advance commercialization, trade and consumer protection in
Africa. The report concluded that Africa should develop its own
scientific capacity to assess the risks of biotechnology so
policies could be informed by the best available research and
information.
“Michigan State University has a long history of partnering with
various countries in Africa at all levels, from developing
technology that will lead to safer, more plentiful food supplies
to working to make sure those solutions are a good, wise and an
accepted fit,” said MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon. “The
African Biosafety Network of Expertise is an exciting and
inspiring continuation of those strong partnerships, and we are
proud to join with NEPAD and the Gates Foundation to help Africa
develop its own capacity for effective and functional regulation
of agricultural biotechnology.”
The grant is part of the foundation’s Agricultural Development
initiative, which is focused on helping small farmers – most of
whom are women – increase their yields and incomes so they can
lift themselves and their families out of hunger and poverty.
The foundation is working with partners on efforts across the
entire agricultural value chain – from seeds and soil to farm
management and market access – with the goal of helping small
farmers access the tools and opportunities they need to improve
their lives.
“Appropriate policies and regulations are critical to ensuring
the safety and effectiveness of agricultural techniques – for
farmers, consumers and the environment,” said Rajiv Shah,
director of Agricultural Development for the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation. “This effort will help African regulators
develop the necessary frameworks so small scale farmers and
consumers can make their own decisions about how to best improve
their lives.”
Over the next 10 months, MSU and NEPAD will undertake a
consultation process with African biosafety regulators
throughout the continent to assess needs and develop a
responsive information and resource network that provides
training, peer-reviewed scientific information, expert
assistance, study tours to other countries with established
regulatory systems and other services as required.
Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and
transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and
outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally
as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary
impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars
worldwide who are interested in combining education with
practical problem solving. |
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