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1 Increased Popularity of Food Labels among Consumersp.1502 Biotechnology Offers Solutions for Sustaining Agricultural Growth p.1503 Avestha Gengraine Granted Patent for New Transgenic Technology p.1504 Controversy over Regulation of Bt Cotton p.1505 Japan Prefers Taiwanese Agricultural Produce p.1506

2 Australia Increased Popularity of Food Labels among Consumers According to recent survey results, consumers in Australia and New Zealand are becoming more aware of food labels helping them to make more informed and healthy choices about food. A total of 15 label elements were examined in the survey, which was conducted with approximately 2,000 respondents from cities in Australia and New Zealand. The labels include the ingredients list, nutrition information panel, country of origin, nutrient claims, storage instructions, allergen declaration, GMO declaration and health claims. Some of the other findings from the survey, conducted by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) last September / October 2002: While consumers use labels for different reasons, date marks were used more regularly for perishable food (such as dairy products), and allergen declarations for baked products (biscuits and dairy foods). Date marking, ingredients lists and the nutritional information panel were used by 66% of the consumers. The label elements least used are GMO declarations, health claims, allergen declarations, and novel and irradiated food declarations. The two key reasons consumers are not reading labels are disinterest in labels and previous positive experiences with food. GM food declarations and labels indicating the country of origin are the least clear for consumers to understand. Most consumers have no trouble reading and interpreting nutrition information panels, but they are not necessarily able to compare products using the information APBN Vol. 7 No

3 Bangladeshi The Bangladeshi Government has acknowledged the need to embrace agricultural biotechnology to raise food production, while the main opposition Awami League (AL) is supporting attempts to get a biosafety act passed in parliament. In a dialogue organized by the independent think tank the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) government officials evaluated the benefits of biotechnology over improved rice production and sustainability of agricultural growth in Bangladesh. Minister M.K. Anwar and State Minister for Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir both attended the dialogue as chief and special guests, with the CPD Chairman Prof. Rehman Sobhan in the chair. They were joined by lawmakers, agricultural scientists, agro-biotechnologists, economists, civil society activists and government officials for the three-hour discussion. Anwar said that the government would encourage agro-biotechnological research while keeping an eye on any negative fallout and associated risk factors. In dealing with the problems arising from the shrinkage of arable land in Bangladesh and the increasing population size, the authorities will have to consider high risk options rather than to let the people starve. Emphasizing on the need to ensure food security without compromising its farming heritage, ecology and biodiversity, Anwar said, We ve to pursue frontier researches through proper risk management. Biotechnology Offers Solutions for Sustaining Agricultural Growth The CPD Chairman stressed on the need to exploit all opportunities, but without damaging the country s agriculture. Opposition lawmaker Dr. Abdur Razzak added that the AL would support passage of a biosafety act in parliament. Dr. Razzak, who is also the AL s Secretary, was very critical of how Bangladesh is lagging behind in terms of tapping the benefits of crop biotechnology. One of the keynote speakers, Dr. Swapan K. Datta from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), talked about the science of rice biotechnology. Apparently, he is one of the researchers involved in the research work that had successfully transferred vitamin A producing gene into Bangladesh s most productive rice variety, BRRIDhan-29. Dr. Datta elaborated on how vitamin A-enriched genetically modified rice could address the problems of anaemia and vitamin deficiencies among the malnourished children in Bangladesh, as well as the children suffering elsewhere in the developing world. He stressed again that risk considerations should not be allowed to keep modern science and technology on the backseat. Dr. Nurul Islam Bhuiyan, Director General of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), said that his institute had applied, through the agriculture ministry, to the Science and Technology Ministry for permission to pursue adaptive research on vitamin A-enriched BRRIDhan-29. APBN Vol. 7 No

4 India Granted Patent for New Transgenic Technology About Avestha Avesthagen is a fully integrated Biotechnology and Bioinformatics company set up primarily to promote Research and Development relationships/services worldwide, making use of proven latest high-throughput technologies and supported by a well trained research team. The Indian biotech firm Avestha Gengraine Technologies has developed a way to genetically modify (GM) a wide range of food products for breeding new hybrids without the labor, cost and time, which the process usually required. Avestha Gengraine has patented both the transgenic plant and gene manipulation processes. The US has granted a patent for this new and unique transgenic technology, with several other countries in Europe, Africa and Asia soon to follow suit. With funding from ICICI, Global Trust Bank and Tata Industries, Avestha has modified genes in basmati rice to make the breeding of new hybrids easier. Transgenic sterile lines rice, such as Avesthagen s new Basmati-370, is highly profitable because it is cheaper and faster for the company can license them to create new hybrids. Basmati- 370 is especially popular among foreign consumers. GM crops usually fall short of in terms of traditional attributes like aroma, however, transgenic Basmati- 370 can create a new breed of seeds to overcome such problems. This latest technology leverages on RNA editing as a molecular tool and works with all seeds. Avesthagen s researchers said, The invention relates to RNA editing for expressing the unedited nad9 gene, thereby disenabling ATP production in the mitochondria of plant, resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction in the plant, thus leading to male sterility. Every hybrid needs a male sterile line, which is crossed with a female line to produce a new seed. The problem with the current hybridization process is that very few sterile lines are available worldwide for every crop variety. To get a basmati hybrid for instance, researchers could only make use of IRRI s sterile lines. Apart from high cost, the process can be time-consuming and companies normally will focus on producing hybrids with a commercial future. Furthermore, undesirable characteristics of the male parent may be passed on to the hybridized progeny this is how attributes like aroma and elongation become diluted in basmati hybrids. Thus, Avesthagen s technology short-circuits the whole laborious process by being able to produce sterility in the existing seed itself and save back crossing. By crossing hybrids with the female line, there is no danger of the attributes being diluted. Avesthagen has already received offers for a licensing contract from several leading seed companies. As only plant genes are being used, the company does not expect any farmer or consumer resistance towards its new technology. Crop hybrids already had an enormous impact on Bangladesh s rice productivity, as GM crops have proven to be more resistant to diseases and capable of higher yields. Contact Details: Avestha Gengraine Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Address: 9th Floor, Unit 3, International Technology Park, Whitefield road, Bangalore , India Tel: Fax: info@avesthagen.com URL: APBN Vol. 7 No

5 Controversy over Regulation of Bt Cotton The Delhi-based NGO (non government organization) Gene Campaign has criticized the Indian government for failing to capitalize on the genetically modified (GM) Bt cotton and question the effectiveness of standing regulatory measures in the country. Gene Campaign stressed that the problem lies with the lack of regulatory mechanisms that are rigorous enough to regulate the use of Bt cotton. For instance, Navbharat Seeds had developed its own variety of Bt cotton and sold it in Gujarat without clearances or field trials. Yet no punitive action was taken against them. The organization is demanding that the GM varieties be withdrawn because of their poor performance. From the second harvest of the Bt cotton, they found that in North Telangana, net income from Monsanto s Bt crop was five times less than the yield from indigenous varieties. In South Telangana, the difference was found to be as much as seven times. Suman Sahai, Director of Gene Campaign, claimed that the particular varieties Mech 162 and Mech 184 are weaker and less vigorous than indigenous cotton varieties, and should therefore be withdrawn. Gene Campaign argued that the purported incentive made available to the farmers mainly from saving on pesticide consumption from using Bt cotton is too insignificant economically. It has been pointed out that the organization had failed to mention that the state was devastated by one of the worst droughts, which had greatly affected the yield of resource-intensive crops such as the likes of Bt cotton. Gene Campaign also did not account for the low pest incidence last year, which made it difficult to make direct comparisons with non-bt varieties. In drought-affected areas like Telangana and Kurnool, the report revealed that Monsanto s Bt cotton had smaller ball size, shorter fiber length, poorer quality and low yield. However, this is not so when crop conditions are favorable. For example, in Medak District, performance of Bt was better as compared to non-bt cotton and other hybrids in rain-fed and irrigated condition. This is also the case with Tamil Nadu, where irrigation is available. Stating Gene Campaign s stand on the issue, Suman Sahai said, We are not against Bt cotton but we want to question regulatory mechanism in the country. It is not responsive to ground realities. About Gene Campaign is a grassroots level organization in India dedicated to protecting the genetic resources of the countries of the South, and the rights of farming and tribal communities. It works to strengthen selfreliance in agriculture and the basis for long term, sustainable food production. Contact Details: Gene Campaign Address: J-235/A Sainik Farms, Khanpur, New Delhi , India Tel: Fax: genecamp@vsnl.com URL: APBN Vol. 7 No

6 Japan Prefers Taiwanese Agricultural Produce According to an official of the Cabinet-level Council of (COA), Taiwanese exports of farm and agricultural products to Japan have gained an upper hand over those from Mainland China. Chen Chia-lin, a session chief of the COA s International Cooperation Department, said Taiwan-produced vegetables and fruits have enjoyed increasing popularity among Japanese consumers due to their high quality. The trend that picks up this year might have been partly triggered by the incidence of high level of pesticides and chemical residues in green soybeans and spinach imports from Mainland China since Japanese consumers grave concerns about the safety of Mainland Chinese produce have created a big advantage for similar Taiwan products in the Japanese market. Since then, Japan s customs officials have further heightened their scrutiny and control over Mainland China s farm and dairy imports by increasing the inspection rate from 5% to 20%, which has resulted in a substantial decline of China s exports to Japan. Statistics compiled by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics has indicated that Taiwan exports of farm and agricultural products, worth US$2.51 billion during the first eight months of this year, has improved by 4.3% over the level earlier in the year. In summary, Taiwan exports to Japan grows by 13.4% during the same eight-month period, while those to Hong Kong and the US dropped by 14% and 8.7%, respectively APBN Vol. 7 No