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FAO-Biotech-News <[log in to unmask]>
Fri, 30 Aug 2019 13:24:31 +0000
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Dear Subscribers,

Here is Update 1-2019 of FAO-BiotechNews. As usual, we welcome any feedback. 

With best wishes

John Ruane
The Coordinator of FAO-BiotechNews, 30-8-2019
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO),
E-mail address: [log in to unmask] 
FAO Biotechnology website: http://www.fao.org/biotech/ (in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian)

*** NEWS *** (http://www.fao.org/biotech/biotech-news/en/)

1) State of the World's Aquatic Genetic Resources

FAO has just released a major publication on "The state of the world's aquatic genetic resources for food and agriculture", a 251-page report which assesses the current understanding and use of aquatic genetic resources (AqGR) for the benefit and sustainability of aquaculture. It investigates the trends and looks at the roles of current AqGR stakeholders, research, education and legislation. The main body of information synthesized in the report came from country reports submitted by 92 governments, in response to a questionnaire prepared by FAO. The questionnaire contained a number of specific questions about use of a range of biotechnologies that can be applied to characterise and develop AqGR and the FAO report presents data on the levels of application of these technologies with selective breeding being the most widely applied. The report also drew on five specially commissioned thematic background studies, one of which was dedicated to "Genome-based biotechnologies in aquaculture", written by Zhanjiang Liu. See the related press release at http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1205417/icode/ (in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Italian, Russian and Spanish), the report at http://www.fao.org/3/ca5256en/CA5256EN.pdf (5.8 MB) and the thematic background study at http://www.fao.org/aquatic-genetic-resources/background/sow/background-studies/en/.

2) Agricultural biotechnologies in the Asia-Pacific region

The FAO Regional Meeting on Agricultural Biotechnologies in Sustainable Food Systems and Nutrition in Asia-Pacific took place on 11-13 September 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For this meeting, FAO commissioned Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), a New Delhi-based policy research institute, to prepare a regional background study to assess the status of application, capacities and the enabling environment for agricultural biotechnologies in the crop, livestock, forestry and fisheries/aquaculture sectors in the Asia-Pacific region. This 173-page working document, entitled "The status of application, capacities and the enabling environment for agricultural biotechnologies in the Asia-Pacific Region" has recently been published, as well as a related 4-page policy brief entitled "Realizing the potential of agricultural biotechnology in the Asia-Pacific region". See the meeting website at http://www.fao.org/asiapacific/events/detail-events/en/c/1440/, the background study at http://www.fao.org/3/ca4438en/ca4438en.pdf (2.3 MB) and the policy brief at http://www.fao.org/3/ca5106en/ca5106en.pdf (6 MB) or contact [log in to unmask] for further information. 

3) FAO publications on agricultural biotechnologies available

A number of major FAO publications on agricultural biotechnologies are currently available on request. These include the proceedings (organized in eight chapters covering the main highlights) of the FAO international symposium on "The role of agricultural biotechnologies in sustainable food systems and nutrition" which took place on 15-17 February 2016 at FAO headquarters, Rome (on the web at http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/66e9a36c-19b2-407a-83c9-5b767e233417/); the 2013 book entitled "Biotechnologies at work for smallholders: Case studies from developing countries in crops, livestock and fish" which documents a series of 19 case studies (on the web at http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3403e/i3403e00.htm); the "Biosafety resource book", consisting of five modules, based on materials from training courses organized by FAO from 2002 to 2010 (on the web at http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i1905e/i1905e00.htm); and the proceedings (containing ten chapters with an extensive series of FAO background documents and five chapters dedicated to the outcomes) of the FAO international technical conference on "Agricultural biotechnologies in developing countries: Options and opportunities in crops, forestry, livestock, fisheries and agro-industry to face the challenges of food insecurity and climate change" (ABDC-10), which took place in Guadalajara, Mexico on 1-4 March 2010 (on the web at http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i2300e/i2300e00.htm). To request a copy of one or more of these publications, please send your full postal address to [log in to unmask]  

4) 17th Regular Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

The 17th Regular Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) took place on 18-22 February 2019 in Rome, Italy. Agenda item 4 was dedicated to "'Digital sequence information' on genetic resources for food and agriculture". The CGRFA considered a working document (number CGRFA-17/19/4) on "'Digital sequence information' on genetic resources for food and agriculture and its relevance for food security". It also took note of an 86-page background study paper entitled "Exploratory fact-finding scoping study on "digital sequence information" on genetic resources for food and agriculture", by J.A. Heinemann, D.S. Coray and D.S. Thaler. The Commission's Session report and working documents of the Session (all in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) as well as the background study paper, are available at http://www.fao.org/cgrfa/meetings/detail/en/c/1153541/. More information about "digital sequence information" is available at http://www.fao.org/cgrfa/topics/digital-sequence-information/en/. Contact [log in to unmask] for more information. The CGRFA is an intergovernmental body established by the FAO Conference in 1983, whose Members include 178 countries and the European Union. It provides the only permanent forum for governments to specifically discuss and negotiate matters relevant to biological diversity for food and agriculture, including all plant, animal, forest, aquatic, micro-organism and invertebrate genetic resources for food and agriculture.

5) Manual on mutation breeding

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and FAO recently published the 3rd edition of the "Manual on mutation breeding", edited by M. Spencer-Lopes, B.P. Forster and L. Jankuloski. Following the 2nd edition which was published in 1977, this 299-page book describes advances in plant mutation breeding, including basic irradiation techniques as well as chemical mutagenesis, in both seed-propagated and vegetatively propagated crops. The manual provides comprehensive overviews and guidelines for new high-throughput screening methods - both phenotypic and genotypic - that are currently available to enable the detection of rare and valuable mutant traits and reviews techniques for increasing the efficiency of crop mutation breeding. It provides practical hands-on methods in plant mutation breeding techniques, with clear illustrated step-by-step protocols. See http://www.fao.org/3/I9285EN/i9285en.pdf (12.6 MB) or contact [log in to unmask] for more information. 

6) GM food safety assessment in Bhutan

An FAO project to strengthen national capacity on genetically modified (GM) food safety assessment is ongoing in Bhutan. Officials from the Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority (BAFRA) have been trained through a workshop on "Training on genetically modified (GM) food safety assessment, risk communication and advocacies programme" which took place on 23-27 July 2018 in Thimphu, Bhutan. A training workshop on "GM food safety assessment: Using a real case study" also took place on 4-15 February 2019 in Paro, Bhutan, using a real-case dossier. Summary reports of these workshops are available at http://www.fao.org/3/CA1436EN/ca1436en.pdf (1 MB) and http://www.fao.org/3/ca4442en/ca4442en.pdf (1 MB) respectively. Contact [log in to unmask] for further information. 

7) Proceedings of OECD conference on genome editing

On 28-29 June 2018, the "OECD conference on genome editing: Applications in agriculture - Implications for health, environment and regulation" took place at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) headquarters in Paris, France. The conference provided the opportunity to learn and discuss genome editing techniques, their current development and applications in agriculture, the science-based safety considerations associated with their use, and the status of related regulatory frameworks in different countries. Proceedings of the conference are now available. See https://www.oecd.org/environment/genome-editing-agriculture/ or contact [log in to unmask] for more information. 

*** EVENTS *** (http://www.fao.org/biotech/biotech-events/en/)

10-13 September 2019, Bangkok, Thailand. FAO GM Foods Platform Global Community Meeting: Towards effective risk-based GM food safety assessment and regulatory management. This technical meeting focuses on sharing national regulatory good practices and lessons learned in the food safety assessment process with a view to strengthening the capacities and understanding of less experienced countries with regard to GM food safety assessment. The FAO GM Foods Platform is an online community of practice set up to share information on the safety assessment of foods derived from recombinant-DNA plants (authorized in accordance with Codex Guideline CAC/GL 45-2003). See http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/gm-foods-platform-global-community-meeting/en/ or contact [log in to unmask] for more information. 

16-18 December 2019, Geneva, Switzerland. Joint global round table on LMOs/GMOs. Organised jointly by the secretariats of the Aarhus Convention and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, this follows up on two previous global round tables held in Geneva in 2013 and 2016. The event is expected to address key issues related to access to information and public participation with respect to living modified organisms (LMOs)/genetically modified organisms (GMOs). See https://www.unece.org/index.php?id=50759 or contact [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask] for more information. 

20-26 June 2020, Vienna, Austria. International symposium on sustainable animal production and health - Current status and way forward. Organised by the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, the objectives of the symposium are to provide information and share knowledge on modern and novel technologies in animal production and health, and their application to support sustainable livestock production systems. Topics to be covered include the use of assisted reproductive technologies for enhanced livestock productivity, radiation hybrid mapping and gene-marker selection in animal characterization and breeding programmes. See https://www.iaea.org/events/aphs2020 or contact [log in to unmask] for more information.
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