Washington, DC
June 30, 2004
Ministers Attending Recent Science and Technology Conference
Endorse Greater Role for Biotechnology To Increase Agricultural
Productivity and Reduce Hunger in Region
Agriculture Secretary
Ann M. Veneman today applauded West African ministers for
embracing the use of science and technology, specifically
biotechnology, to increase agricultural productivity and reduce
hunger in the region. Biotechnology was one of the major topics
of discussion at the West African science and technology
conference held last week in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
“The debate over
biotechnology has clearly shifted in West Africa,” Veneman said.
“The main focus is no longer whether to use the tools of
biotechnology. The leaders now are asking how best to use these
technologies to address the serious problems of hunger and
malnutrition and most benefit small African farmers, consumers
and the environment.”
At the conference, West
African ministers adopted a resolution calling for greater
research and investment in agricultural biotechnology and
recommending the creation of a West African center for
biotechnology.
They also agreed to meet
again this year in Bamako, Mali, to build on the progress made
at last week’s conference. At the Bamako meeting, ministers will
discuss the development of a regional action plan to strengthen
research, testing, technology transfer and scientific training
to ensure that the new wave of technologies do not bypass
Africa.
The Ministerial
Conference on Harnessing Science and Technology To Increase
Agricultural Productivity in Africa: West African Perspectives
brought together four presidents and 18 ministers from West
Africa among over 300 total participants from 22 countries.
Delegates heard from more than 40 policy makers, scientists and
other experts on four central themes, including water
management, biotechnology and biosafety, public-private
partnerships, and policies and regulatory frameworks needed to
support efforts to increase agricultural productivity.
During the conference, a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between USDA and
the African Agricultural Technology Foundation. The MOU will
accelerate the transfer and dissemination of technologies
developed by USDA scientists to West African researchers and
then to the region’s small farmers.
In a videotaped welcome
message to the conferees, Veneman also announced that the first
group of West African scientists would soon be selected to
participate in USDA’s new Norman E. Borlaug International
Science and Technology Fellows Program, which funds scientific
training and exchange in the United States.
A number of priorities emerged at the conference, including
the need for regional cooperation and partnerships to address
regional problems and the importance of educating and informing
people on the practical applications of biotechnology, including
its regulation. Another major emphasis was the critical role for
technical assistance to build capacity in Africa in such areas
as biosafety regulation, development of sanitary and
phytosanitary systems, and international trade.
J.B. Penn, USDA under
secretary for farm and foreign agricultural services, led the
U.S. delegation to the conference, which was co-sponsored by
USDA, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for
International Development and the Burkina Faso Ministry of
Agriculture, Water and Fisheries Resources. The Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African
Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the Permanent Interstate
Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) provided
advisory support and endorsement.
Presentations and other
materials from the conference are being posted on the Web at
http://www.fas.usda.gov/icd/stconf/event6.html.
Four
African presidents OK biotech
Source:
Crop Biotech Update
Four West Africa Presidents, Amadou
Toumani Toure of Mali, Mamadou Tandja of Niger, John Kufuor of
Ghana, and Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, have given their
approval to the use of biotechnology to improve food security in
the continent.
Speaking at the “Ministerial Conference
on Harnessing Science and Technology to Increase Agricultural
Productivity in Africa” held in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, the
four Presidents called on the participants to come up with clear
recommendations on how West Africa can quickly gain from the
technology.
President Blaise Campaore of Burkina
Faso said “The continent should increase food production 12 fold
in order to satisfy needs of its population. To meet this
challenge, Africa must acquire and adapt biotechnology to the
agricultural sectors.”
The three-day conference, which
attracted over 400 participants, focused on four main themes of
critical importance to West Africa, and the entire continent.
They included biotechnology and biosafety; regulatory policies
and frameworks that will support efforts to increase
agricultural productivity; technology transfer and marketing of
African crops; and water management and conservation./ Kenya
Biotechnology Information Center
In related developments, USDA reported
that the West African ministers adopted a resolution calling for
greater research and investment in agricultural biotechnology
and recommended the creation of a West African center for
biotechnology. They also agreed to meet again in Bamako, Mali to
discuss the development of a regional action plan to strengthen
research, testing, technology transfer and scientific training.
The USDA release is available online at
http://www.usda.gov/Newsroom/0271.04.html. |
