The Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) website has now been extended to include a "capacity building corner", containing information about GCP training events, fellowship and grant opportunities, and other human resource development activities in the fields of plant genetic resources, genomics and molecular breeding. The GCP is one of the Challenge Programmes approved by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and its aim is to "harness the rich global heritage of plant genetic resources and create a new generation of crops that meet the needs of resource-poor people". See http://www.generationcp.org/capcorner.php or contact [email protected] for more information.

The 24th FAO Regional Conference for Africa took place from 30 January to 3 February 2006 in Bamako, Mali. One of the items for discussion was the "African Seeds and Biotechnology Programme", which FAO has proposed to provide a strategic approach for the comprehensive development of the seed sector and biotechnology in Africa, taking into account the different needs of the countries and regions. See document ARC/06/4 (in Arabic, English, French and Spanish) at http://www.fao.org/Unfao/Bodies/RegConferences/arc24/24arc_en.htm or contact [email protected] for more information. An information document was also presented on "Policy and regulation of biotechnology in food production", which reviews existing policy and legal instruments and summarizes discussions in the region on genetically modified products. See document ARC/06/INF/5 (in Arabic, English, French and Spanish) at http://www.fao.org/Unfao/Bodies/RegConferences/arc24/24arc_en.htm or contact [email protected] for more information. The FAO Regional Conference meets every two years and is attended by Ministers of Agriculture and other top officials from 53 countries in Africa.

The 28th FAO Regional Conference for the Near East took place from 12-16 March 2006 in Sana`a, Republic of Yemen. One of the information documents presented was entitled "Biotechnology potential in support of rural development: Pros and cons". See document NERC/06/INF/8 (in Arabic, English and French) at http://www.fao.org/Unfao/Bodies/RegConferences/nerc28/28nerc_en.htm or contact [email protected] for more information. The FAO Regional Conference for the Near East is held every two years.

On 21 March 2006, the Agricultural Biotechnology Network in Africa (ABNETA) was launched in Nairobi, Kenya. The initiative is co-ordinated by FAO and implemented by the African Biotechnology Stakeholder Forum. The specific goals of the network are to facilitate exchange of information and dialogue among researchers, policy makers, farmers, media and the public on matters concerning application of biotechnologies in agriculture and conservation of genetic resources; facilitate and organize regional meetings, training courses, workshops to strengthen national capacities to develop and access tools to enhance plant breeding and conservation of plant genetic resources (PGR); provide current information on advances made in biotechnology research; encourage communication between the media and the public in the area of biotechnology; be a source of data on biotechnology in Africa including existing and required capacities in terms of equipment, reagents and human resources; be a base for forum discussions on all aspects of biotechnology and its application in breeding; and provide contacts for plant breeders and researchers and facilitate linkages. See http://www.abneta.org/index.php or contact [email protected] for more information.

The report of the 3rd Session of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture that took place on 26-28 October 2005 at FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy, is now available. One of the items on the agenda was "Guiding principles to address the possibility of unintended presence of transgenes in ex situ collections". See the report (document CGRFA/WG-PGR-3/05/REPORT, in English, French and Spanish, and soon in Arabic and Chinese) or contact [email protected] for more information.

The 34th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) takes place on 1-5 May 2006 in Ottawa, Canada. Item nr. 5 on the provisional agenda is "Labelling of foods and food ingredients obtained through certain techniques of genetic modification / genetic engineering". See the meeting agenda at http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/current.jsp (in English, French and Spanish), some background to the CCFL`s work on labelling of GM foods at http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/food/risk_biotech_label_en.stm (in English, French and Spanish) or contact [email protected] for further information.

The January 2006 newsletter from the Plant Breeding and Genetics Section of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture and the FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratory is now available. The 20-page newsletter, issued twice a year, gives an overview of their past and upcoming events (meetings, training courses etc.), ongoing projects and publications. See http://www-naweb.iaea.org/nafa/pbg/public/pb-nl-16.pdf (889 KB) or contact [email protected] to request a copy.

The December 2005 newsletter from the Animal Production and Health Section of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture and the FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratory is now available. The newsletter, issued twice a year, gives an overview of past and upcoming projects, publications and events. See http://www-naweb.iaea.org/nafa/aph/public/ap-nl-43.pdf (506 KB) or contact [email protected] for more information.

The Animal Production and Health Sub-programme of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture has recently published "Methods in gut microbial ecology for ruminants", edited by H.P.S. Makkar and C.S. McSweeney. The book gives a comprehensive account of the methodologies for conventional and modern molecular techniques that are currently in use for studying the gut microbial ecology of ruminants. Libraries of research institutions, including universities, in developing countries can request a free copy from [email protected].

This website provides access to news, essential documents, interviews, videos and technical reports (covering also diagnostic procedures) etc. about avian influenza (bird flu). See http://www.fao.org/ag/avian.html (in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Italian and Spanish) or contact [email protected] for more information.

On 8-9 March 2006, the Instituto de Innovación en Biotecnología e Industria (IIBI), the Centro para el Desarrollo Agropecuario y Forestal (CEDAF) and FAO organised a workshop in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, entitled Hacia la planificación estratégica de la biotecnología en la República Dominicana, whose goal was to assess the present status of biotechnology applications in the Dominican Republic and to formulate a national biotechnology strategy using a participatory approach. Results from the workshop are now available at http://www.redbio.org/newsredbio.asp?id=265 or contact [email protected] for more information.

The 3rd meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP 3) took place on 13-17 March 2006 in Curitiba, Brazil. The meeting considered and adopted decisions on a wide range of substantive issues, including detailed requirements for documentation accompanying living modified organisms (LMOs) intended for direct use as food or feed, or for processing; handling, transport, packaging and identification; the need for and modalities of developing standards with regard to identification, handling, packaging and transport practices for transboundary movements of LMOs; risk assessment and risk management; the need to establish subsidiary bodies under the Protocol; other issues necessary for the effective implementation of the Protocol (rights and/or obligations of Parties of transit); monitoring and reporting; review and assessment of the Protocol; compliance with the Provisions of the Protocol; liability and redress; cooperation with other organizations, conventions and initiatives; operation and activities of the Biosafety Clearing-House; and capacity-building, including adoption of an updated version of the Action Plan for Building Capacities for the Effective Implementation of the Protocol. See http://www.biodiv.org/meetings/cop8mop3/mop-03.shtml for links to the 20 official documents (available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) and 13 information documents (most in English only) prepared for the meeting and to daily reports and press coverage of the meeting. Contact [email protected] for any further information.

The 8th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP-8) took place on 20-31 March 2006 in Curitiba, Brazil. A wide range of issues were dealt with, some related directly or indirectly to agricultural biotechnology. See http://www.biodiv.org/meetings/cop8mop3/cop-08.shtml for links to the 49 official documents (available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) and 47 information documents (most in English only) prepared for the meeting and to daily reports and press coverage of the meeting. Contact [email protected] for any further information.

As part of its EPTD (Environment and Production Technology Division) Discussion Papers series, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has recently published two papers on regulation of GMOs, entitled "An analysis of trade related international regulations of genetically modified food and their effects on developing countries" (by G.P. Gruère) and "Comparative analysis of the national biosafety regulatory systems in East Africa" (by G. Jaffe). See http://www.ifpri.org/divs/eptd/eptdp.asp or contact [email protected] for more information. IFPRI Divisional Discussion Papers contain preliminary research material and are circulated prior to a full peer review in order to stimulate discussion and critical comment

On the occasion of a conference held on 6 June 2005 in Copenhagen, Denmark to mark the 100-year anniversary of the Danish Guild of Agricultural Journalists (Dansk Landbrugspresse), the FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf delivered a keynote address which considered, among other issues, the on-going public debate on the potential and limits of biotechnology. See http://www.fao.org/english/dg/2005/den.htm or contact [email protected] for more information.

The Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology held its 5th session on 19-23 September 2005 in Chiba, Japan. The report of the meeting is now available. See http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/archives.jsp?lang=en (in English, French and Spanish) or contact [email protected] for further information. The Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission is an intergovernmental body set up to establish international standards on foods.