"I share Greenpeace's disgrace about the heavy PR campaign of some agbiotech companies..." Ingo Potrykus, 10 Feb 2001
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Some interesting statements, according to this article (item 1), from 'golden rice' inventor, Ingo Potrykus:
" Linkage between public research and industry has reached so high that the former is now almost being controlled by industry, he said. [almost?!]
If this trend continues, world food market would come in total control of some companies, he warned, adding scientists should work keeping in mind the interest of the poor.
Potrykus said biotechnology was facing a major crisis in the present scenario as there were more concerns on its risks rather than its potential to benefit the disadvantaged sections."
2 items:
1. Scientific research should move away from industry: Potrykus
2. Vitamin rich Swiss rice to arrive in India soon
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1. Scientific research should move away from industry: Potrykus
Times of India, 15 Feb 2001
NEW DELHI: Scientific research should move away from industry as it has "different" interests and can not be expected to take into account the concerns of the poor, noted scientist and a co-inventor of Vitamin A-rich Golden rice Dr Ingo Potrykus has said.
Scientists can transfer benefits of the biotechnology to the poor only if public research moves away from industry, Potrykus, professor of plant sciences at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, said at a panel disucssion on `Oportunities for and threats to the new Indo-Swiss collaboration in biotechnology programme' on Tuesday.
Stating that currently 95 per cent of public researh is linked to industry, he said industry can not be expected to be bothered about problems of people and well-being of the poor as its interests are different.
Linkage between public research and industry has reached so high that the former is now almost being controlled by industry, he said.
If this trend continues, world food market would come in total control of some companies, he warned, adding scientists should work keeping in mind the interest of the poor.
Potrykus said biotechnology was facing a major crisis in the present scenario as there were more concerns on its risks rather than its potential to benefit the disadvantaged sections. (PTI)
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2. Vitamin rich Swiss rice to arrive in India soon
Times of India
NEW DELHI: An agreement betweeen Indian and Swiss scientists is to be signed soon for the transfer of technology for Vitamin A-rich Golden rice to India, co-invetor of Golden rice Dr Ingo Potrykus has said.
The draft agreement was discussed at the Indo-Swiss International Symposium in Biotechnology', Potrykus told PTI on Tuesday.
During the discussions, some changes were suggested which would be incorporated in the agreement before it is signed by him reprsenting the Swiss side and Dr Manju Sharma, secretary, department of biotechnology, from Indian side, he said.
According to sources in the department of biotechnology (DBT), the agreement is likey to be signed in a couple of months.
Technology transfer for Golden rice is the part of Indo-Swiss collaboration in biotechnology. Golden rice gets its name from its golden colour which is due to the presence of beta carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A.
Potrykus said he had free licenses to transfer technology for rice rich in Vitamin A for humanitarian purposes. However, he was not allowed to transfer technology for other rice lines like those rich in iron and those rich in both Vitamin A and iron.
After the agreement is signed, seeds of the rice lines rich in beta carotene would be imported by India from Switzerland. Before that permission from Indian and Swiss authorities would be needed, Potrykus said.
Once these seeds are imported, Indian scientists would modify them to suit Indian conditions before these are introduced for general use. The scientists would try to introduce gene for Vitamin A in the Indian varieties of rice, he said.
Potrykus said talks for transfer of technology had begun in 1999. The rice rich in Vitamin A is important for India considering the fact that 400 million children here suffer from Vitamin A deficiency.
Genetic improvement of crop plants is an important way to fight micronutrient deficiency in India, he said, adding it was "criminal" to delay introduciton of nutrient-rich varieties for common use.
For the Golden rice, there are 70 patents which belong to 32 patent holders including many multinational companies.
Studies on the biosafety and toxicity aspects are still taking place and they would take at least three years to complete, Potrykus said.
According to DBT sources, under the proposed agreement about 50-60 grams of the seeds would be imported. Swiss scientists would also give genetic constructs.
The sources said experiments would be conducted in Delhi University, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Central Rice Research Institute in Cuttack, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, and Directorate of Rice Research in Hyderabad.
The experiments would be done so as to introduce the gene for Vitamin A in Indian variety of rice, oryza indica, using genetic engineering and cross breeding. Potrykus had introduced the gene for Vitamin A in oryza japonica variety of rice.
India would have to bear the cost of only conducting these studies as the material from Swiss side would be provided free of cost, they said.
The DBT sources said entire process would take at least four years. The experimentation would take into account all the safety guidlines and once the Indian rice lines rich in Vitamin A are produced, clearance would be taken from environment ministry for conducting field trials.
After the field trials, the new variety would be registered as seed, they said.
A mechanism would be then needed to make available this rice to the target population - poor people and those living in the rice belt in south, north-east and West Bengal, they said.
The new varieties are likely to be in public domain and protected under the plant variety laws, they added. They are likely to be provided only to poor farmers.
Golden rice was developed jointly by german and swiss scientists. There have been objections to genetically modified crops from environmentalists. They say that there are alternatives to golden rice which can be used to fight viatmin a deficiency. (PTI)
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"Greenpeace has identified a weak point in the strategy of using Golden Rice for reducing vitamin A-deficiency" Ingo Potrykus, 10 Feb 2001