Biotechnology and Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security
Organizing partners
ANBio – Brazilian Biosafety Association (Associação Nacional de Biossegurança)
http://www.anbio.org.br/
EMBRAPA – The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation
http://www.embrapa.br/english
ISAAA – International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications
http://www.isaaa.org/
PBS - Program for Biosafety System (PBS)
http://www.danforthcenter.org/science/programs/international_programs/pbs/
IFPRI - International Food Policy Research Institute
www.ifpri.org/
PRRI – Public Research and Regulation Initiative
http://www.pubresreg.org/
ICSU - The International Council for Science
http://www.icsu.org/
Introduction
The world is facing very daunting challenges. Over 1 billion people are malnourished, often resultingin
chronic diseases and premature deaths. Agriculture burdens the environment through pesticides,fertilizers,
irrigation, ploughing and conversion of natural habitats. This situation will be compoundedby the further
growth of the world population. By 2050 the world will have to produce 60-70% morefood, feed, fibre and
biomass on a smaller agricultural area and under the stress of climate change.
Farmers will have to produce more with less impact on the environment. In other words, to increase
yieldper hectare, to make better use of water, to be less dependent on pesticides and fertilisers, to
enhance nutritional value, etc. As was already recognised in the Earth Summit in 1992, this immense
challenge cannot be solved by conventional approaches alone, but requires the involvement of new
technologies such as modern biotechnology.
Detailed programme
We need to keep on improving access to better and sufficient food while alleviating the environmental
drawbacks of agriculture by reducing agricultural land, water and chemical usage. As was already
recognised in the Earth Summit in 1992, this immense challenge cannot be solved by conventional
approaches alone, but requires the involvement of new technologies such as modern biotechnology.
Since 1992, there has therefore been an immense effort in biotechnology research, in particular inthe
public sector, to develop crop plants with improved resistance to insects, fungi, viruses, andbacteria; crops
that are tolerant to drought, heat, saline and herbicides, crops that have enhancednutrition, etc. This
research is conducted in many research institutes all over the world.
Since 1996, over one billion hectares of genetically modified crop varieties through modern biotechnology
have been grown in over 30 countries across the world by over 15 million farmers, most of which small
holder farmers. Factors motivating farmers adoption, include the experience in lowering production costs
and increasing productivity.The aggregated results from the use of these crops, comparing to the
conventional varieties replaced, show there have been significant yield gains, equivalent to 60 million
additional hectares of land, pesticide reductions of 350 million kg of active ingredient, significant reductions
in fossil fuel use and also of mycotoxincontamination.In addition to the socio-economic and environmental benefits experienced from the use of GMcrops, the experience with 25 years of research from many
thousands of field trials combined withover 15 years of commercial planting of GM crops worldwide shows
that there are no verifiablereports of adverse effects of GMOs on human health or the environment.
Although most encouraging results, the genetically modified crop varieties that are available to farmers are
limited to primarily soy beans, maize, cotton and rapeseed with improved insect resistance and/or
herbicidetolerance. It is time to change. We should make better use whatever technologies and tools
toimprove access to sufficientand improved food quality and safety while alleviating the environmental
drawbacks.
Taking into consideration the Agenda 21, the challenges and commitments reaffirmed in the “Zero Draft”,
the proposed side eventwill raise awareness of world changes and trends related tofood securityand
environmental protection. It will focus oncurrent developments related to applications and experiences of
agrobiotechnology, as well as efforts and future contributions from the public sector scientific and
technological community from different parts of the world if adequate conditions are met. The dialogue will
provide awareness and insights to help solving issues to better feed the world with less impact on the
environment, and social and economical benefits. The side event is a collaborative contribution of 7
different organisations relevant on fields of food and agriculture, biosafety, research and biotechnlogy from
different parts of the world.
Presentations:
• Food security and world changes and trends since 1992
• Strengthening sustainable agriculture – contributions from the public sector including biotechnology
• Global adoption of biotech crop technology – lessons learned
• Discussion with the participants
Speakers:
Dr. Julian Adams, Professor of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology and Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan, and the Asia Coordinator for the Program for Biosafety
Systems at the International Food Policy Research Institute. He has held visiting appointments at
Universities in Brazil, France, and Germany. He received several awards, including Alexander von
Humboldt, Fulbright, Jefferson and NATO Fellowships. Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of California,
Davis.
Em. Prof. Marc Van Montagu, president of the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB) and of the
Public Research and Regulation Initiative (PRRI). He withJ.Schell co-discovered the mechanism of DNA
transfer from Agrobacteriatumefaciens to plants, and constructed the first chimerical plant genes. He ranks
among the 10 most cited scientists in Plant & Animal Science (ISI classification). He created the Institute of
Plant Biotechnology for Developing Countries (IPBO) at Ghent University. He has received numerous
awards due to his scientific accomplishments, including the title of Baron (1990). He is member of several
academies of science, agriculture and engineering and holds numerous Doctor Honoris Causa degrees.
Ph.D in Organic Chemistry/Biochemistry and a B.A. in Chemistry from Ghent University.
Anderson Galvão, Board of Directors member, of International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech
Applications (ISAAA) and Founder-Director of Céleres. Associate Consultant ofGV-consult School of
Business Administration of São Paulo (FGV/EASP) andadvisor of Council for Biotechnology Information.
Agronomist from Federal University of Uberlândia and post-graduated in Business Administration from
FGV.
Moderator:Dr. Lúcia de Souza, ES of Public Research and Regulation Initiative (PRRI), VP of Brazilian
Biosafety Association (ANBio) and Director of Cutting Edge Solutions. B.A in Biology(University of Sao
Paulo-Brazil), Marketing (ITAM-México), and Ph.D in biochemistry (UniBasel-Switzerland).
