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Cartagena Biosafety Protocol Take Effect

The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the first legally binding international agreement governing the movement of living modified organisms (LMOs) across national borders took effect on 11 September 2003.

The Protocol, adopted by the member governments of the Convention on Biological Diversity on 29 January 2000 after more than five years of negotiation, aims at ensuring adequate safety in the transboundary movement and use of LMOs resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on the biological diversity and human health. At the date of entry into force certain provisions will take effect immediately:
- Countries shipping LMOs for intentional introduction into the environment will have to   give prior notification of the first shipment to an importing country that is a party to the   Protocol.
- Member countries of the Protocol will also be required to use the Biosafety Clearing   House (BCH) to fulfill a number of specific obligations. The BCH is a largely Internet-
  based facility established under the Protocol to ease communications and exchange of   information between the Parties.
- All shipments containing LMOs for international introduction into the environment will   be clearly identified as such in the accompanying documentation which must specify the   identify and characteristics of the specific LMOs contained in each shipment.

Additional information about the Protocol is available at http://www.biodiv.org/biosafety or http://www.biodiv.org/biosafety/faqs.asp

European Union Directives on GM Seeds

The European Union (EU) has formulated a separate legislation for genetically modified (GM) seeds. All GM seed varieties have to be approved and authorized for cultivation in the EU under Directive 2001/18. Authorization is only granted after scientific assessments have concluded that the GM seeds do not pose any risks to the environment or to human health.

The EU Directives on the marketing of agricultural and vegetable seeds aim to improve the quality of seeds (e.g. identity and purity of the variety) that are currently marketed in the EU. Requirements were specifically made regarding sealing, labeling and documentation.

Further, a minimum threshold for the presence of authorized GM varieties was specified for seed lots of non-genetically modified (non-GM) varieties. To date, only GM of maize, swede rape, soya bean and chicory are authorized in the EU. Requests for authorization for GM of potato, beet and cotton have already been made.

The Commission proposes a threshold for GM-presence in conventional seeds according to the species, and the reproductive systems of the plants. Accordingly, thresholds specified for GM crops are as follows: 0.3% for swede rape; 0.5% for beet, maize, potato, cotton, chicory and tomato; and 0.7% for soya bean. Source: Crop Biotech Update; October 2003.

ISTA Proficiency Tests on GMO Testing

The adventitious presence of GM seeds in non-GM seed lots has increasingly become a problem for the international trade. Apart from the difficulty in establishing the threshold for GM seeds in conventional seed lots, the development of relevant, reliable and inexpensive methodology for detection, identification and quantification of GM content in conventional seed lots continues to be a challenge.

In view of the situation, ISTA laid down its position, established a new strategy and formed the ISTA GMO Task Force. The task force would organize proficiency tests on GMO testing in conventional seed. The Second GMO Proficiency Test was initiated in February 2003. The purpose of this Proficiency Test was to check the capacity of individual laboratories to detect and, on a voluntary basis, to quantify the presence of GM seeds in samples of conventional seed of maize. The objective of data analysis was not to identify deviating laboratories but to compile their performances and database for the laboratories.

Each participating laboratory received a set of 10 maize samples: three negative samples (no GM seeds added) and 7 positive samples. From the seven samples, three were spiked with 0.7% GM seeds (MON810) and four were spiked with 1.4% GM seeds. Laboratories could use the method they thought appropriate for the test.

A total of 52 laboratories received the samples and 47 submitted their results for evaluation by 27 June 2003. All 47 laboratories reported qualitative results that could be evaluated (Table 1). Thirteen laboratories reported semi-quantitative tests. Nineteen laboratories reported quantitative test results, with analyzable data, and performed in total 20 test series and one laboratory applied two different methods.

If you are interested in more information or would like to participate in the ISTA Proficiency Test in GMO Testing, contact the ISTA Secretariat directly at ista.office@ista.ch, or visit the website at www.seedtest.org. Sarah Anne Meier, ISTA, Zuerichstrasse 50, P.O. Box 308, 8303 Bassersdorf, Switzerland; Fax: ++41-1-8386001; E-mail: sarah.meier@ista.ch; Website http://www.seedtest.org

UPOV Membership on the Rise

Tunisia became the fifty-third member of UPOV by depositing its instrument of accession on 31 July 2003 and designated a responsible office for plant variety protection. The Service d'Homologation et de Protection des Obtentions Végétales of Direction Général de la Protection et du Contrôle de la Qualité des Produits Agricoles is assigned the responsibility for implementing the plant variety protection. Tunisia is the first country from the West Asia and North Africa region to become a full member of UPOV. From Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is already a member of UPOV. This brings to two the countries from the ICARDA mandate region which are now members of the UPOV under the 1991 Convention. Source: http://www.upov.int

The Egyptian Seed Association

The Egyptian Seed Association (ESAS) is not-for-profit NGO established in March 1998 to represent the private sector of the Egyptian seed industry. ESAS has over 180 national, regional and international members and a number of specialized councils such as: Maize, Vegetables, Field Crops, Potato, Traders, Exporters, Importers, Food Processors, Tissue Culture and Seedlings, and Biotechnology Councils. It has four permanent committees to achieve its objectives: (a) Policy Reform Committee; (b) Code of Ethics Committee; (c) Quality and Technology Transfer Committee; and (d) Networking and Foreign Relations Committee.

ESAS is an official member of legislative and key governmental committees regulating the Egyptian seed industry: Variety Release Advisory Committee, Variety Registration Committee, Committee for Privatization of Seed Production, Mediation and Arbitration of Disputes (according to ISF rules) and WTO's contact point for intellectual property rights.

ESAS is an affiliate of international associations such as AFSTA, ISF, APSA and BioAfrica. It serves national and international members by advocating policy and regulatory reforms and facilitates links between local and international seed companies and organizations. The association serves the global seed industry through hosting or organizing international conferences and meetings such as of ISF and AFSTA. ESAS promotes public awareness on the role of seed trade associations at regional and global levels. For more information contact: Adel Sayed Ahmed, General Manager, ESAS, 35 Gamet El-Dowal El Arabia Street, Mohandesen 12411, Cairo, Egypt; Fax: ++20-2-3498994; E-mail: asa@esasegypt.org; Website: http://www.esasegypt.org

First Hybrid Barley Hits the Market

In July 2003, Syngenta announced the introduction of the first hybrid barley variety. Colossus is a conventionally bred hybrid feed barley approved earlier in the year in the United Kingdom. According to the press release, the new variety was bred for improved performance and demonstrates 'hybrid vigor'. Colossus will be sold in the UK as part of a first-of-its-kind crop production program, the Hybrid Barley System. The system provides growers with the benefits of the new variety, three crop protection products-Syngenta's fungicides Amistar and Unix, and plant growth regulator Moddus as well as a comprehensive growing program.

Field trials have demonstrated that the Hybrid Barley System delivers yield improvements of 10% and more compared with standard barley varieties. The hybrid barley also will be marketed in Denmark, France and Germany once variety approvals have been received. Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness company. It ranks third in the high-value commercial seed market with sales of US $6.2 billion in 2002. Further information is available at website: http://www.syngenta.com