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surveyed. Analysis of the data revealed that human resources
numbered 1,150 technicians, of whom 890 were post-graduates,
there were 1,500 projects in operation, 560 publications
and that 537 theses had been supervised over the past
three years. The survey also revealed that equipment
and infrastructure did not constitute the main weak
points. These were to be found in the dearth of training
in advanced plant biotechnologies, molecular biology,
cell and tissue culture applied to genetic improvement
of crop species, and methods for the diagnosis of food-crop
diseases; a limited operating budget; and the vacuum
caused by the lack of a technical co-operation network
on information and research. A little more than 63%
of the plant-biotechnology activities in the Region
focused on tissue culture with the private sector support;
10.1% corresponded to projects on plant-disease diagnosis,
while genetic engineering and functional genomic analysis
represented the 8.6% and 2.7% respectively. The survey
forecast an estimated growth in genetic engineering
activities up to 22.6% and to 4.1% in genomic analysis
(Izquierdo and de la Riva, 2000).
The participants in the Round Table for the Establishment
of a Technical Co-operation Network among Plant Biotechnology
Laboratories set about filling this void. Held at the
FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean,
from 21 to 23 November 1990, the Round Table was attended
by technicians and experts in plant biotechnologies
from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica,
Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela
and the International Agricultural Research Centers
(International Center for Tropical Agriculture, CIAT;
International Potato Center, CIP; International Plant
Genetic Resources Institute, IPGRI), the Inter-American
Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture and the Latin
American Federation of Biotechnology Enterprise Associations
(FELAEB). It agreed to set up a Technical Co-operation
Network on Plant Biotechnology (Red de Cooperación Técnica
en Biotecnología Vegetal, REDBIO).
The
REDBIO was officially set up under the sponsorship of
the FAO and with the co-operation of the International
Agricultural Research Centers active in the region.
It began operations in January 1991. Following a resolution
by the FAO Regional Conference held in Uruguay in 1992,
the REDBIO was expected to cover animal biotechnologies
as well (Commandeur, 1994).
The
Regional Co-ordination Committee was made up of the
subregional co-ordinators elected by the REDBIO members
every three years. The Committee members were responsible
for preparing and promoting the Network and its activities,
and for co-operating in the execution of proposed actions.
A Technical Advisory Council comprised renowned researchers
from the region in genetic engineering,germplasm, micropropagation,
cell and tissue culture, diagnosis of plant pathogens,
regulations and policies. It was in charge of setting
priorities and policies, and promoting fund raising.
The technical secretariat of REDBIO was administered
by the Regional Plant Production Officer of the FAO
Regional Office, Santiago de Chile.
In 1997, another survey by the REDBIO revealed that
tissue culture maintained its predominance with 51.7%
of plant-biotechnology activities due to its applications
in agriculture. An interesting finding was the increase
in research projects on genome analysis, although not
with the same sophistication in all laboratories. This
increase responded to the need to complement plant-breeding
projects with the use of molecular markers and to the
poor results obtained with somaclonal variation. The
expansion of genetic engineering expected in 1990 did
not take place; in fact the activities in genetic engineering
fell from 8.6% in 1990 to 6.4% in 1997. Other activities
such as the production of bio-insecticides and inoculants
increased. These activities could be applied to the
agricultural sector and bring short-term benefits. Was
also increased the number of investigations on secondary
metabolites of medicinal plants and their therapeutic
use. These projects were promising, but they required
an appropriate analytic base and infrastructure that
should grow when the on-going projects reached superior
stages, including the application of strict norms of
quality control, registration and approval of products
for pharmaceutical use (Izquierdo and de la Riva, 2000).
The range of plant species used in research-and-development
projects changed over the period 1990–1997. In 1990,
29% of plant-biotechnology activities was directed toward
fruit species, 28% to roots and tubers, and only 1.1%
to ornamentals. In 1997, the fruit species represented
27% of the activities, roots and tubers fell to 14%,
while ornamentals rose to 10% of plant-biotechnologies
activities. Economic reasons explained these changes:
propagation and tissue culture of fruit species and
ornamentals was more profitable due to the high commercial
value of the propagated plants; on the other hand, in
food crops such as root and tuber plants, the price
of the propagated plants should decrease in order to
be affordable to small farmers (Izquierdo and de la
Riva, 2000).
Another finding was the growing activity of transnational
biotechnology companies that were introducing complete
technological packages. The relations of these companies
with national biotechnology groups should contribute
to scientific development in the Region.
When
consulting the 30 scientific publications with the greatest
relevance in biotechnology, Izquierdo and de la Riva
(2000) found that only 2% of the published scientific
articles were generated by the laboratories of the Region
(data from Current Contents, 1997). These authors considered
that numerous small research teams, located in universities
or agricultural institutions, without appropriate relationship
and/or integration, represented a high dispersion of
facilities and qualified work force. This small research
groups lacked the critical mass of technological equipment
and trained human resources to initiate relevant projects
that would attract public and private investment and
have an important impact on crop production. However,
48% of the laboratories (data from REDBIO/FAO, 1999)
were supported by private funding to produce disease-free
plants via tissue culture, the overall annual supply
reaching about 75 million plants.
On
21 October 1999, a meeting of the REDBIO subregional
and national co-ordinators was held in Caracas at the
headquarters of the National Scientific and Technological
Research Council (CONICIT). The following subregional
co-ordinators were present:
– Central America, Mexico and Latin Caribbean countries:
María Elena Aguiar of the Tropical Agriculture Research
and Training Center (CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica);
–
Andean countries, Eva de García of the Central University
of Caracas;
–
Central Zone Brazil, Roberto Torres of the Federal University
of Goiania (Goias State, Brazil);
–
South Cone, Daniel Pagliano of the National Institute
for Agriculture and Livestock Research (INIA, Montevideo,
Uruguay), who was replaced by the national REDBIO co-ordinator
of Chile.
National co-ordinators of Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica,
Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela also
attended the meeting and presented the REDBIO activities
in their respective countries, as well as the participating
laboratories at national level.
Since 1991, plant-biotechnology laboratories of the
English-speaking Caribbean countries, as well as of
Cuba and the Dominican Republic had been members of
the REDBIO. The seminar and workshop on Biotechnology
in the Caribbean was organized in the Dominican Republic
from 13 to 15 October 1999 by the Center for Agriculture,
Livestock and Forestry Development (Centro para el Desarrollo
Agropecuario y Forestal, CEDAF) of the Dominican Republic,
the Caribbean Council of Sciences and Technology (CCST)
of Guyana and Caribbean Agriculture and Fisheries Programme
(CAFP). The main objective of the seminar was to identify
co-operation strategies, find a consensus on the creation
of a network, or strengthening a pre-existing one, on
the exchange of information and transfer of knowledge
in agricultural and food biotechnologies. An overwhelming
majority was in favour of strengthening the subregional
Caribbean REDBIO and setting up a committee comprising
seven countries (Barbados, Cuba, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica,
Dominican Republic, and Trinidad and Tobago), and the
CEDAF, CAFP and CCST. A follow-up workshop was organized
in Havana from 7 to 8 December 1999, with the participation
of the REDBIO co-ordinators of Cuba, Dominican Republic
and Venezuela, and representatives of the CEDAF and
Trinidad and Tobago. The workshop prepared a programme
for the year 2000 aimed at strengthening national groups
in the 13 Caribbean countries and designing training
activities. The co-ordinator of the Caribbean REDBIO
was Stephen Williams of the Citrus Research and Education
Institute, Belize. The FAO Subregional Office for the
Caribbean, located in Bardados, was expected to provide
technical assistance to the FAO Regional Office (Santiago
de Chile) in order to follow up the activities of the
Caribbean REDBIO.
The
Regional Biotechnology Catalogue, published in 1990,
provided information on 154 laboratories. In 1991, CATBIO
1.0, in diskette, increased the data to 204 registries.
In August 1992, the REDBIO Secretariat contacted all
researchers, chiefs and associates of the Net-work member
laboratories. Approximately 1,400 letters accompanied
by a simple questionnaire were sent out to twenty countries
to learn more about the staff working in REDBIO laboratories.
A staff evaluation was made on the basis of experience,
academic degrees, period of work in the institutions
and scientific merit of the five more significant publications
of each of them. The catalogue of the surveyed laboratories
participating in the REDBIO was updated in 1994: CATBIO
2.0 comprised more than 350 laboratories in the region,
which could be used for the exchange of germplasm and
other materials, selection of candidates for courses,
project formulation, technical advice and commercial
advertisement. Data from the English-speaking Caribbean
countries were also included in CATBIO 2.0 (REDBIO Circular
Letter, 8, June 1994, p. 4).
By early 2000, the REDBIO included more than 549 affiliated
laboratories in 32 countries from Latin America and
the Caribbean; 83% of the affiliated laboratories had
less than 10 researchers and technical staff and only
72% of this total had a minimum of three post-graduate
researchers (Izquierdo and de la Riva, 2000). In order
to facilitate exchanges and foster REDBIO activities,
a new category of associated laboratories had been established,
e.g. institutions of developing countries (associated
and observers) keen to develop agreements, projects
and training activities with REDBIO member laboratories.
The Joint FAO/IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)
Laboratory in Seibersdorf, Austria, had been incorporated
into the Network as an associated member.
In
addition to the subregional co-ordinators, national
co-ordinators were responsible for co-ordinating the
REDBIO activities in their respective countries and
ensuring the relations among the various institutions
and laboratories participating in the national REDBIO
network. They were also responsible for convening national
seminars, workshops and symposia under the REDBIO sponsorship.
The project InfoREDBIO, discussed by the participants
in the national meeting REDBIO/Venezuela, held in Caracas
from 18 to 21 October 1999, aimed to: offer a service
of electronic information and communication of high
quality to the institutions and laboratories participating
in the REDBIO; develop the technical, administrative
and managerial capacities of the REDBIO members, promote
the exchange of experience among these members and foster
the co-operation between laboratories and working groups;
and strengthen the REDBIO Foundation. Under the InfoREDBIO
project, it was intended to create a focal point in
each country, equipped with the necessary tools, so
as to become the receptor of the specialized information.
In 1999, the technical secretary of REDBO (FAO Regional
Office in Santiago de Chile) prepared and disseminated
32 electronic bulletins. The web page of REDBIO was
completely updated and reshaped, the server of the web
page being located at the FAO Regional Office for Latin
America and the Caribbean, in Santiago de Chile. The
web site had received 5,282 visits in 1999(
http://www.redbio.org
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OB J E C
T I V E S AND AC T I V I T I E S O F THE NETWORK
It was agreed that the Network activities would respect
the priorities set out by national institutions, regional
organizations and bilateral agreements. It was not considered
appropriate to identify priority crop species for the
whole region, while the possibility was underlined of
establishing subnetworks at subregional level, based
on essential crops for grouped countries.
The REDBIO objectives were to:
– play the role of a technical forum supporting the
formulation of national and regional biotechnology policies;
– facilitate the exchange of information and research
results among the Network members;
–
foster the exchange of germplasm and biological material,
as well as access to new technologies for those Network
members lacking these resources, through exchange and
training;
– support regional initiatives and training opportunities
in plant biotechnologies; biotechnologies with comparative
advantages for solving specific problems were highlighted,
e.g. tissue and organ culture, micropropagation and
clonal multiplication of cultivars, conservation and
evaluation of germplasm, molecular diagnosis of pathogens;
– promote the advancement and updating of knowledge
through the participation of Network members in international
symposia and congresses;
–
enhance complementarity between research groups and
those involved in the production and transfer of technology,
with a view to designing assistance mechanisms for project
identification and funding by the relevant financial
institutions.
Another
key role of the Network was to prepare projects linking
member laboratories in multidisciplinary joint research
with advanced institutions in developed countries. The
REDBIO was focusing collaborative research activities
on: crop breeding for biotic and abiotic stress-tolerance
through genetic engineering, gene mapping and biotechnology-assisted
selection; integrated pest management through disease
diagnostics and biological control assisted by molecular
biology techniques; and policy issues, intellectual
property protection, biosafety regulation and socio-economic
impact of biotechnologies.
From 10 to 13 December 1991, a workshop on the Code
of Conduct in Plant Biotechnology was held in Santiago
de Chile, attended by 32 specialists from governmental
and non-governmental institutions of Argentina, Brazil,
Chile Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
and the USA. The issues of major interest were identified
as biosafety, intellectual property, farmers’ rights,
socio-economic impact, appropriate biotechnologies and
conservation of plant genetic resources. The REDBIO
and the FAO Secretariat prepared the first draft of
an International Code of Conduct on Biotechnologies
dealing with biosafety, intellectual property rights
and regulations in the region. Revised in 1992, the
Code included sections stating objectives and definitions,
chapters in connection with intellectual property and
farmers’ rights; biosafety; and the impact of biotechnologies.
The Code main function was to serve as a reference for
individual countries setting up their own regulatory
codes on intellectual property, biosafety, appropriate
technology and mitigation of the possible negative impacts
of biotechnologies.
Two publications prepared by specialist members of the
Network, Biotecnología apropiada a las necesidades del
pequeño y mediano productor agrícola de América Latina
y del Caribe and Acceso a la biodiversidad y a la biotecnología:
propiedad intelectual y derechos del obtentor y del
agricultor, were presented to the workshop on the Code
of Conduct in Plant Biotechnology, held in Santiago
de Chile, in December 1991. They were published as REDBIO
documents and distributed during 1992. At the FAO Twenty-Second
Regional Conference for Latina America and the Caribbean,
held in Montevideo from 28 September to 2 October 1992,
the REDBIO presented a document entitled Present state
and perspectives for utilization of modern biotechnologies
in Latin America and the Caribbean. It was also proposed
that a revised edition of the book be prepared by the
CINVESTAV (Center for Research and Advanced Studies)
and INIFAP (National Institute for Forestry, Agriculture
and Livestock Research), Mexico, including an addition
entitled Introducción a la biología molecular y ingeniería
genética de plantas. The idea was to develop a basic
textbook for schools of agriculture, of biology and
others in poorly-documented areas of applied plant molecular
biology.
Documents on molecular virology, integrated pest management
through advanced biotechnologies and a manual on tropical
roots and tuber-tissue culture had been published. The
REDBIO also published data on theses prepared since
1985 by academic institutions and plant-biotechnology
centres.
In 1993, the REDBIO concluded an agreement with the
editor of the Biotechnology and Development Monitor,
published by the University of Amsterdam, for distributing
this publication to all member laboratories of the Network.
The European Commission also agreed that all REDBIO
member laboratories could have access to the publication
EBIS, which contained brief information on subjects
of great relevance, such as biosafety, patenting and
advanced biotechnologies in the member countries of
the European Union (REDBIO Circular Letter, 6, June
1993, p. 8).
One
of the Network most important activities was educating,
qualifying and training staff, with emphasis on complementarity
among research groups in biotechnologies. The REDBIO
was organizing seminars, workshops and courses in disease
diagnosis techniques; complementarity between conventional
genetic improvement and molecular genetics; conservation
and characterization of autochthonous plant genetic
resources; in addition to germplasm exchange, the REDBIO
was fostering the dissemination of information through
newsletters and the preparation of documents on priority
subjects.
A course on in-vitro plant-tissue culture and propagation
of cultivated species, carried out at the Unit of Biotechnology,
Agricultural Experimental Station ‘Las Brujas’, INIA
(National Institute for Agriculture and Livestock Research),
Uruguay, from 25 November to 6 December 1991, was attended
by 20 participants from the REDBIO laboratories. Laboratory
work focused on the micropropagation of potato, sweet
potato, garlic, grapevine, fruit trees, strawberries
and eucalyptus.
The subregional workshop on Supplementation of Biotechnological
and Conventional Methods for Genetic Improvement of
Food Crops, held at the INIA Agricultural Experimental
Station ‘La Estanzuela, Uruguay, was sponsored by the
REDBIO with the collaboration of the CIAT (International
Center for Tropical Agriculture), CIMMYT (International
Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) and IRRI (International
Rice Research Institute). Ninety-two participants from
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Paraguay, Peru
and Uruguay attended this multidisciplinary workshop,
whose purpose was to exchange experiences and biotechnologies;
and to promote generation of an improved germplasm of
the main food-crop species of the subregion, i.e. potato,
rice, maize, wheat and barley. The workshop identified
needs and emphasized opportunities for genetic improvement
assisted by biotechnologies for the plant breeding programmes
of the countries involved. In addition to the use of
RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) and
RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) markers, molecular
probes, the identification of useful genes, obtention
of transgenic plants and selection of improved genotypes
with ample resistance to the main pests and diseases
and environmental constraints were identified as priority
research areas (REDBIO Circular Letter, 7, November
1993, pp. 5–6).
A
seminar was held at the Wheat Research Center (Centro
de Pesquisas de Trigo, CNPT, EMBRAPA), Paso Fundo, Rio
Grande do Sul, Brazil, from 3 to 4 December 1991. Participants
from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and
Uruguay made presentations on wheat-production methodologies
in the South Cone and spoke on molecular techniques,
e.g. those used in characterizing specific resistance
to Puccinia recondita tritici; molecular probes for
disease diagnosis; biological control of pathogens;
incorporation of genomic markers monitored through the
PCR (polymerase chain reaction); use of haploids and
somaclonal variation in wheat improvement. The seminar
was organized by the Co-operative Programme for the
Technological Agricultural Development of the South
Cone (Programa Cooperativo para el Desarrollo Tecnológico
Agropecuario del Cono Sur, PROCISUR)/IICA, under the
co-auspices of the CENARGEN/ EMBRAPA and CIMMYT, which
also participated.
In Ecuador, considering the country great potential
for increasing its arable lands for export crops, and
the subsequent demand for in-vitro plants, the Fundación
Vitroplant (Quito), Proexant, the International Center
for Scientific Co-operation Simón Bolívar of Venezuela
(Centro Internacional de Cooperación Científica), Central
University of Ecuador, Institute for Agriculture and
Livestock Research (Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias,
INIAP), International Potato Center, Environment and
Development Corporation (Corpo-ración Ambiente y Desarrollo,
AMDE) and Bioveget SA laboratories joined efforts to
organize a national course on tissue culture from 29
March to 1 April 1993. The objective was to discuss
different aspects of setting up a tissue culture laboratory:
efficiency and profitability; training in the preparation
of culture media; micropropagation tech-niques for potato,
cassava, mulberry, strawberry, orchids and ‘paja toquilla’
(a fibre plant species).
Held
on 5 April 1993 in Quito, the Second Meeting of REDBIO/Ecuador
was attended by 40 participants from the 14 member institutions
of the REDBIO in Ecuador. Participants comprised agronomists,
biologists, technicians and specialists in tissue culture
from public and private institutions. During this meeting,
the guidelines of plant-biotechnology research policies
were presented by the National Council of Science and
Technology and the relevant activities carried out by
the Faculties of Agriculture were reviewed (REDBIO Circular
Letter, 6, June 1993, pp. 2–3).
The
First Brazilian Meeting on Plant Biotechnology, held
from 12 to 17 December 1993 in Brasilia, was organized
by the REDBIO/Brazil Co-ordination, with the support
of the Banco do Brasil Foundation, EMBRAPA (Brazilian
Enterprise for Agriculture and Livestock Research),
UNESCO and FAO Regional Office. The purpose of the meeting
was to consolidate the FAO Plant Biotechnology Network
in Brazil and to foster the integration of those institutions
and laboratories that were Network members in Brazil.
It was attended by 407 technicians and experts from
90 laboratories, in addition to experts from Argentina,
Belgium, Costa Rica, Cuba, France, Mexico, Paraguay,
Peru, Switzerland, Uruguay and the USA. Thirty-nine
lectures, three round tables and the presentation of
207 posters during the meeting reviewed on-going research
work in plant biotechnologies in the different academic
institutions, as well as their commercial application
in Brazil: plant genetic engineering, plant-genome mapping,
plant-tissue and cell culture, biotechnology of woody
plants and Palmaceae, biotechnology of medicinal plants
and production of secondary metabolites, patents, and
biosafety issues concerning trials of transgenic plants
and their release.
Participants in the symposium also reviewed the: research-and-development
priorities in plant biotechnologies for meeting Brazilian
needs in terms of foodstuffs, food additives and pharmaceutical
production; legal aspects of biotechnology development
in Brazil (patents, intellectual property rights, biosafety);
and application of biotechnologies to the conservation
and sustainable use of genetic resources. During simultaneous
workshops, project profiles were prepared on priority
subjects for the development and application of plant
biotechnologies to food-crop species production. Profiles
were also prepared on collaborative research projects
between Brazilian teams and similar groups in other
Latin American countries, including the advanced training
of researchers (REDBIO Circular Letter, 8, June 1994,
pp. 3–4).
The
First Meeting of REDBIO/Bolivia was organized by the
Bolivian Institute for Agriculture and Livestock Technology
( Instituto Boliviano de Tecnología Agropecuaria, IBTA)
in Cochabamba from 13 to 14 December 1993, in order
to promote national biotechnology activities and consolidate
REDBIO/Bolivia. The purpose of the meeting was to: provide
the public with information on activities in plant biotechnologies
and promote these; exchange experiences among professionals;
and consolidate the agricultural, forestry and medical
activities of REDBIO/Bolivia activities (REDBIO Circular
Letter, 8, June 1994, p. 8).
The
First Meeting of REDBIO/Chile was held in Santiago de
Chile on 3 March 1994 at the Catholic University of
Chile, with the participation of 48 researchers and
specialists from 18 plant-biotechnology laboratories.
The programme included the presentation of activities
and projects carried out by different public, academic
and private-sector institutions that were Network members.
Proposals were made to encourage the circulation of
information to and from laboratories; to integrate activities
into those promoted by the National Biotechnology Committee;
and to support meetings and congresses in plant biotechnologies
(REDBIO Circular Letter, 8, June 1994, p. 6).
The
First Meeting of REDBIO/Uruguay was held in March 1995
and attended by researchers and authorities of the Network
member laboratories. The specific objectives of the
event were to: present progress reports and results
in national research on plant biotechnologies; establish
a portfolio of projects agreed on by the participating
institutions that offered potential for co-operative
research; analyze the national and international status
of plant biotechnologies and design guidelines for maximizing
the contribution of biotechnologies to the country development
(REDBIO Circular Letter, 9, October 1994, p. 8).
In Argentina, the REDBIO National Co-ordination organized
the Second Argentine Symposium on Plant Biotechnology
from 30 May to 2 June 1993. Held in Huerta Grande, Córdoba,
the Symposium was attended by numerous representatives
of the country plant-biotechnology institutions, as
well as by lecturers in genetic engineering, molecular
biology, secondary metabolites and transformation, biotechnology
and sustainable agriculture, cell culture, in-vitro
culture of plants and food-crop production. Also, in
Argentina, a course on applications of the advanced
biotechnologies to agriculture was held from 1 to 21
November 1993 at the Research Institute for Genetic
Engineering and Molecular Biology (INGEBI), Buenos Aires,
under the aegis of the International Centre for Genetic
Engineering and Biotechnology. Fifteen students, including
six from Argentina, participated in the course (REDBIO
Circular Letter, 6, June 1993, pp. 4–5).
The Fourth National Symposium on Plant Biotechnology
REDBIO/Argentina-99 was held from 11 to 12 November
1999 in Buenos Aires. More than 150 researchers from
public and private institutions, and students from several
Argentine universities attended the symposium the objectives
of which were to: present the most recent advances in
plant biotechnologies at the national and international
level; review, and exchange ideas on, the current projects;
design new projects on priority subjects; and promote
the constitution of a critical mass of REDBIO/Argentina
with researchers belonging to various public institutions
and the private sector. In addition to a key-note address
by the FAO representative for Latin America and the
Caribbean, technical secretary of the REDBIO, on the
vision of FAO regarding biotechnologies applied to the
improvement of food crops and eight lectures delivered
by national and foreign researchers, about 100 posters
were presented on plant-tissue culture and micropropagation,
secondary metabolites, genetic transformation, molecular
biology-assisted plant breeding, resistance to biotic
and abiotic stress, bioremediation and public perception
of plant biotechnologies.
Following the Symposium, a post-graduate course on ‘Plant
biotechnologies. Physiological parameters’ was organized
from 15 to 20 November 1999 in the premises of the Faculty
of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences of the National
University of La Plata and the Institute of Biotechnology
of the National Institute for Agriculture and Livestock
Technology (INTA, Castelar).
The
Fourth National Symposium was an opportunity for the
Argentine REDBIO co-ordinator (Alicia Diamante, Laboratory
of Tissue Culture, INTA Bella Vista, Corrientes) to
report on the number of laboratories participating in
the REDBIO and their research topics. About 46% of these
laboratories were located in the Province of Buenos
Aires, 12% in that of Santa Fé, 10% in that of Mendoza,
6% in those of Tucumán and Córdoba each, 4% in those
of Misiones, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, La Pampa, Río Negro,
San Juan each, and 2% in those of Neuquén and Tierra
de Fuego each. Micropropagation and plant-tissue culture
were by far the major activities of almost 25 and 17
laboratories respectively; resistance to abiotic stress,
genetic transformation and use of molecular markers
came after with 8, 6 and 6 laboratories dedicating their
research to these areas, respectively; finally, secondary
metabolites, genetic engineering and resistance to biotic
stress were the research areas of some 5, 3 and 2 laboratories.
With respect to plant species, cereals, vegetables and
fruit species were the subject of research of 35, 30
and 25 laboratories, followed by forest species (18
laboratories), oilseed and industrial species (15 laboratories),
ornamentals (10), fodder species (5) and miscellaneous
(4).
In
addition, the exchanges among researchers coming from
various provinces allowed: the choice of PhD. theses
under the supervision of researchers from different
universities (e.g. Tucumán and Corrientes); the design
of projects to be carried out by interdisciplinary groups
(e.g. Mar del Plata - Buenos Aires and Corrientes);
the formulation of proposals on how to improve the communication
and exchange among the laboratories of the REDBIO/Argentina.
The technical secretary of CamBioTec (Canada-Latin America
Biotechnology Initiative for Sustainable Development,
see p. 165) addressed the participants on the dissemination
through the REDBIO of a document on public perception
of biotechnologies via the involvement of public institutions
such as the universities and INTA.
An assembly of the REDBIO/Argentina took place and the
attendants were informed about the most recent stages
regarding the creation of the REDBIO Foundation. The
statutes of the latter were to be sent to all Network
members in order to collect their comments. It was indeed
foreseen to set up national subsidiaries of the Foundation,
at least five (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and
Venezuela) before June 2001, when the Fourth Latin American
Encounter on Plant Biotechnology was to be convened
in the city of Goiania, Brazil. Each national REDBIO
focal point was expected to review the Foundation statutes
in order to check their relevance to the national legal
norms. The Ministry of Education of Uruguay had been
working on the issue of the legal status of the Foundation
since October 1999.
At the Fourth National Symposium, the activities to
be implemented under REDBIO/Argentina until 2001 were
defined, and a number of courses were designed to be
conducted in various regions of Argentina under the
sponsorship of REDBIO. In addition, the mechanism for
publishing the proceedings of the Symposium in the Electronic
Journal of Biotechnology was finalized. The technical
secretariat of the REDBIO provided a number of suggestions
aimed at improving and updating the electronic linkages
among the members of the REDBIO/Argentina.
The national meeting of REDBIO/Venezuela on The Status
of Agricultural Biotechnology at a Footstep from the
New Millenium (Balance de la Biotecnología Agrícola:
a un Paso del Nuevo Milenio) was held from 18 to 21
October 1999 in the Foundation CELARG in Caracas. The
main objectives of the meeting were to: take stock of
the exchange of experience and research results among
the national laboratoires participating in the REDBIO;
present the results of the projects funded by the Inter-American
Development Bank; and analyze the various options and
strategies concerning the exchange of inform-ation in
plant biotechnologies among Latin American countries.
More than 90 participants attended the meeting and represented
universities as well as the private sector. The technical
topics of the meeting included: the molecular diagnosis
of plant diseases; new trends in the resistance to viruses;
forest species and biotechnology; commerciali-zation
of transgenic crops and products; biological control;
experiences in micropropagation; biosafety, biological
diversity and regulation; information systems in biotechnologies
(SIMBIOSIS 1(see p. 139) , InfoREDBIO), electronic biotechnology
journals. In addition to reviewing co-operation opportunities
among the REDBIO members, the FAO representative for
Latin America and the Carribean (Santiago de Chile)
and technical secretary of the REDBIO, presented the
statement of the FAO on ‘The role of biotechnology in
the genetic improvement of food crops: prospects for
the next millenium’.
According to FAO, biotechnology provides powerful tools
for the sustainable development of agriculture, fisheries
and forestry, as well as the food industry. When appropriately
integrated with other technologies for the production
of food, other agricultural products and services, biotechnology
offers significant potential for assisting in meeting
the needs of an expanding and increasingly urbanized
population in the next millennium. There is a wide array
of ‘biotechnologies’ with different techniques and applications.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) defines
biotechnology as ‘any technological application that
uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives
thereof, to make or modify products or processes for
specific use’. Interpreted in this broad sense, the
definition covers many of the tools and techniques that
are commonplace in agriculture and food production.
Interpreted in a narrow sense, to consider only the
new DNA techniques, molecular biology and reproductive
technological applications, the definition covers a
range of different technologies such as gene manipulation
and gene transfer, DNA typing and cloning of plants
and animals.
While there is little controversy about many aspects
of bio-technology and its application, genetically-modified
organisms (GMOs) have become the target of a very intensive
and at times emotionally charged debate. The FAO recognizes
that genetic engineering has potential for helping to
increase production and productivity in agriculture,
forestry and fisheries. It could lead to higher yields
on marginal lands in countries that today cannot grow
enough food to feed their people. Already there are
examples of genetic engineering helping to reduce the
transmission of human and animal diseases through new
vaccines. Rice has been genetically engineered to contain
provitamin A (beta-carotene) and iron, with the potential
to improve the health of many low-income communities.
Other biotechnological methods have led to organisms
that improve food quality and consistency, and other
organisms, which clean up oil spills and heavy metals
in fragile ecosystems. Tissue culture has produced plants
that are increasing crop yields by providing farmers
with healthier planting material. Marker-assisted selection
and DNA fingerprinting allow a faster and much more
targeted development of improved genotypes for all living
species. They also provide new research methods assisting
in the conservation and characterization of biodiversity.
The new techniques will enable scientists to recognize
and target quantitative trait loci and thus increase
the efficiency of breeding for some traditionally intractable
agronomic problems such as drought resistance and improved
root systems.
However, the FAO is also aware of the concern about
potential risks posed by some aspects of biotechnology.
These risks fall into two basic categories: the effects
on human and animal health, and the environmental consequences.
Caution must be exercised in order to reduce the risk
of transferring toxins from one life form to another,
of creating new toxins or of transferring allergenic
compounds from one species to another, that could result
in unexpected allergic reactions. Risks to the environment
include, among other things, the possibility of out-crossing,
leading, for example, to the development of more aggressive
weeds or wild relatives with increased resistance to
diseases or environmental stresses, upsetting the ecosystem
balance. There is also the potential loss of biodiversity,
for example, resulting from the displacement of traditional
cultivars by a small number of genetically-modified
cultivars.
The
FAO supports a science-based evaluation system that
would objectively determine the benefits and risks of
each individual GMO. This calls for a cautious case-by-case
approach to address legitimate concerns for the biosafety
of each product or process prior to its release. This
includes evaluating the possible effects on biodiversity,
the environment and food safety, and assessing the extent
to which the benefits of the product or process outweigh
its risks. The evaluation process should take into consideration
experience gained by national regulatory authorities
in clearing such products. Careful monitoring of the
post-release effects caused by these products and processes
is also essential to ensure their continued safety to
human beings, animals and the environment.
Current investment in biotechnological research tends
to be concentrated in the private sector and oriented
towards agriculture in higher-income countries where
the purchasing power exists for its products. In view
of the potential which biotechnologies offer for helping
to increase food supply and contributing to overcoming
food insecurity and vulnerability, the FAO considers
that efforts should be made to ensure that developing
countries in general and resource-poor farmers in particular,
benefit more from biotechnological research, while continuing
to have access to a diversity of sources of genetic
material. The FAO proposes that this need be addressed
through increased public funding and dialogue between
the public and private sectors 2(see pp. 139–40) .
Within the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food
and Agriculture, a permanent intergovernmental forum,
countries are developing a Code of Conduct on Biotechnology
aiming to maximize the possible benefits of modern biotechnologies,
and minimize the possible risks. The Code will be based
on scientific considerations and will take into account
the environmental, socio-economic and ethical implications
of biotechnology. As in applications in medicine, these
ethical aspects warrant responsible consideration. Therefore
the Organization is working toward the establishment
of an international expert committee on ethics in food
and agriculture.
A
seminar on Harmonization of Biosafety in the Americas:
Building Institutional Capacities, was held from 7 to
10 June 1994 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. The basis
for a Common Standard on Guarantee of Biosafety in the
Andean Group was elaborated. In addition, the creation
of a Monitoring System of Biosafety in Latin America
and the Caribbean was recommended. Together with the
Biosafety Information Network and Advisory Service (BINAS)
of the UNIDO and IICA, the Monitoring System was expected
to compile and disseminate inform-ation on regulations,
norms and legislation to do with national biosafety,
field trials and the commercialization of genetically-modified
organisms (REDBIO Circular Letter, 9, October 1994,
p. 10).
An international symposium on Biotechnology for Crop
Im-provement in Latin America (BIOCILA) was held in
Caracas from 1 to 7 November 1992. For the first time
in Latin America, 179 scientists working in several
areas of plant biotechnologies were brought together.
They came mainly from Latin America (87%), while invited
speakers came from Europe (9% of invited speakers) and
from the USA (46% of invited speakers). The scientific
programme was divided into five areas: crop transformation
and regeneration; crop-quality improvement; nitrogen
fixation; biotic stress; and abiotic stress. The Symposium
also covered the following topics: genetic resources,
status of plant biotechnologies and their co-ordination;
genes and intellectual property of plant genetic resources;
and biosafety issues in Latin America. A survey was
carried out to score the impact of the Symposium. The
level of the scientific programme was rated as very
good; keynote presentations were rated as outstanding.
The participants appreciated the efforts made to have
good research presentations. Round-table discussions
on genetic resources of the New World and the status
of Latin American biotechnologies were greatly acknowledged.
The prospects for application of the work exposed at
BIOCILA in the participants’ institutions were considered
very good. A Latin American Society for Plant Biotechnology
was proposed to ensure the longevity of the BIOCILA
symposium.
The Symposium was the First Latin-American Encounter
on Plant Biotechnology. In fact, BIOCILA was proposed
to become a permanent forum for Latin American plant
biotechnologists, a symposium being organized every
two or three years. The REDBIO welcomed this initiative
and proposed that the following symposium be held under
the REDBIO auspices in 1995.
Argentina
was selected as the host country for the Second Latin
American Encounter on Plant Biotechnology, christened
REDBIO’95, which was held in Puerto Iguazú from 4 to
9 June 1995 in order to:
– review and disseminate new biotechnological knowledge
for improving agricultural production in Latin America
and the Caribbean;
–
present the results of projects and promote both projects
and policies supporting the development of plant biotechnologies;
–
foster contact between young researchers or students
from the region and renowned specialists from universities
and centres of excellence world-wide;
–
promote interaction between academia and the production
sector; – discuss the socio-economic and environmental
impact of advanced biotechnologies in the region.
REDBIO’95
included symposia on: micropropagation and cell biotechnologies
for genetic improvement; cell and molecular biology
advances; resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses;
biological control; primary and secondary metabolism;
field trials of transgenic plants; priorities in agricultural
biotechnologies in Latin America and the Caribbean;
socio-economic impact; interaction between academia
and the production sector; co-operation policies with
the USA, Europe and Japan. In addition, workshops were
organized to deal specifically with cereal, legume,
root and tuber, vegetable and ornamental, fodder, industrial,
fruit and forest crop species.
REDBIO’95 was sponsored by the FAO, UNESCO, UNDP, OEA
Multinational Project for Biotechnology and Food Technology,
IICA, Argentine Secretariat for Science and Technology
(SECYT), National Scientific and Technological Research
Council (CONICET) and National Institute for Agriculture
and Livestock Technology (INTA).
The
Third Latin American Encounter on Plant Biotechnology
was held in Havana from 1 to 5 June 1998 and sponsored
by the FAO and UNESCO. In addition to Latin American
and Caribbean participants, researchers from Canada,
France, Italy, Spain and the USA attended he encounter.
Eleven plenary lectures were delivered and eight symposia
were held on the following subjects: advances and prospects
in the classification and diagnosis of phytopathogens;
advanced bio-technologies for the conservation of plant
genetic resources; molecular markers in the genetic
improvement of crops and apomixis; biotechnology of
biological control agents; resistance to abiotic stress;
resistance to biotic stress; current trends in plant
micropropagation; primary and secondary metabolites.
Workshops were also organized on: biotechnology applied
to the control of the complex white fly and geminiviruses;
biotechnologies applied to the cultivation of banana
and plantain; use of molecular markers in the genetic
improvement of crops; use of biotechnologies for the
conservation of plant germplasm; biotechnologies applied
to the cultivation of potato, sugar-cane, forest species
and cassava; biological control agents; biotechnologies
applied to the diagnosis of diseases in citrus and other
fruit species.
The
latter workshop was organized upon the request of the
Inter-American Citrus Network (RIAC, Red Interamericana
de Citrus), as one of the main activities of the Project
aimed at controlling the diseases which were threatening
citrus plantations throughout the Americas. The representative
of Spain commented that the European Union accepted
citrus fruits imported from Tucumán, Argentina, while
the representative of the USA indicated that some US
States accepted citrus fruits from Argentina. In contrast,
the representative of Uruguay stated that the USA did
not accept citrus fruits originating from Argentina
and Uruguay. It was also mentioned that in September
1998 a meeting held in Spain aimed to regulate the import
by the European Union of citrus fruits affected by canker.
The workshop ended with the drafting of diagnostic methods
to be used in the certification of citrus species with
regard to the following diseases: canker, viroids, psorosis,
tristeza and concave-gum.
A
workshop was also organized on the preparation of scientific
papers to be published in high-level plant-biotechnology
journals. Over 700 posters were presented during the
Third Latin American Encounter.
On this occasion, a meeting of the REDBIO subregional
and national co-ordinators was held to review the statutes
of the REDBIO Foundation. This was a civic association,
having a 13-member executive board and considered as
a necessary tool for supporting the REDBIO objectives.
The Foundation aimed to promote national and regional
policies for the development of biotechnologies, as
well as research-and-development projects carried out
jointly by institutes, laboratories and enterprises.
The Foundation was expected to support these projects
and to emphasize the training of human resources, exchange
of knowledge, technology and biological material. A
mission was undertaken in 1999 to Washington, D.C.,
to hold working sessions with staff members of the World
Bank and Inter-American Development Bank on the funding
of a first portfolio of research-and-development projects.
The Banks were supportive of the Foundation and of funding
projects which were to be carried out by two countries
or more, members of the REDBIO, and aimed to solve priority
problems in these countries.
Another
project discussed during the Third Latin American Encounter
concerned the creation of a post-graduate school in
biotechnology in Latin America and the Caribbean. This
project was being designed by A. Mentaberry of the Research
Institute for Genetic Engineering and Molecular Biology
(INGEBI) of the National Scientific and Technological
Research Council (CONICET) of Argentina. The rationale
fo the project was to train highly-qualified specialists
but in close relation with local needs, because most
of those who were trained abroad worked on subjects
irrelevant to these needs.
A
strategy was also presented to associate the REDBIO
with the Electronic Journal of Biotechnology. It was
agreed that all the works and posters submitted to the
encounter would be published in the Journal; the suggestion
was even made that negotiations be carried out to enable
Latin American researchers to publish the results of
their work via the Journal. Such publication would not
entail extra-cost because the Journal was subsidized
by company advertisements.
The
Fourth Latin American Encounter on Plant Biotechnology
(REDBIO-2001) was to be held from 4 to 8 June 2001 in
the city of Goiania, Goias State, Brazil, under the
aegis of REDBIO/Brazil, the REDBIO Foundation and several
Brazilian institutions.
Without
being sponsored by the REDBIO, but as a related activity,
the International Symposium on Plant Genetic Engineering:
Towards the Third Millenium was organized by the Center
for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) in
Havana from 6 to 10 December 1999. The attendance comprised
52 invited speakers and delegates from 30 countries,
as well as representatives of three international organizations
(including the FAO and UNESCO). The sponsors of the
Symposium were the State Council of the Republic of
Cuba, Ministries of Science, Technology and Environment,
of Agriculture, of Sugar, Montedison Group, Rhône-Poulenc
Biotech and the National Institute for Forestry, Agriculture
and Livestock Research (INIFAP) of Mexico. Professor
M. Van Montagu, Director of the Department of Genetics
of the University of Gent, Belgium, was elected honorary
chairman of the Symposium, as a tribute to his outstanding
contribution to the development of plant biotechnologies
and to the training of a great number of plant biotechnologists
in the developing world. The programme of the Symposium
included the following topics: socio-economic impact
of biotechnology; plant genome; crop transformation;
abiotic and biotic stress; quality of plant products;
molecular farming; biosafety and ethical considerations.
The Symposium enabled the Cuban researchers to present
their results in massive micropropagation and clonal
multiplication of sugar-cane, banana, plantain, sweet
potato, Xanthosoma, citrus and ornamentals; biofertilizers
and biopesticides; gene mapping and use of molecular
markers.
Albert Sasson
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