WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

Dissemination of Plant Biotechnology - an African Perspective

Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

Aims of Modern Plant Biotechnology:

develop plant varieties with specific properties for survival in their local regions environmentally sustainable, higher yielding and less expensive varieties varieties endowed with more nutritious constituents than the wild type species varieties that help to limit post-harvest crop losses novel plant varieties to boost biodiversity

Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

Dissemination of technology
availability of the tools and benefits to all especially the less privileged availability of the tools and benefits to low-scale poor farmers

Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

The need for plant biotechnology in Africa: why?

13% of worlds population live in 12%of global habitable surface area rate of population growth out-balances that of food production

40% of Africas population live on less than USD1 per day

many countries in Africa depend on food-aid to fight starvation healthcare services are most inadequate in Africa and many diseases are still endemic in the Continent Africa leads the world on the major health problem of our time
Amoako 2003
Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

The need for plant biotechnology in Africa: why?

farm work in Africa is still predominantly manual

courtesy of WARDA

and rural to urban youth migration has relegated farm work to the uneducated old men, to the women and to the children

courtesy of Harsch, Africa Recovery

courtesy of Monsanto, Africa

Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

The poor performance of agricultural biotechnology in Africa:

minimal R&D investment by governments of African countries
only South Africa was active as at 2001 over-dependence on foreign aid and donor institution assistance little interest in indigenous food crops from multinationals improvement in these food crops is almost inexistent global debate on the security of GM foods protection of international trading interests inappropriate national legislation or no legislation
Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

African success stories in plant biotechnology

BollgardR cotton and YieldGardR maize in South africa

Courtesy of Monsanto Africa

Properties higher yields pest resistance

Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

African success stories in plant biotechnology (contd)

NERICA (New Rice for AfriCA) at WARDA in West Africa
possesses high yielding properties of Indian rice multiple stress resistance of African species

SAHEL 108 short life cycle therefore, double cropping

Courtesy of WARDA, W. Africa

CISADANE resistance to gall midge

Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

Immediate visible benefits of GM crops

less need for insecticide sprays decreased requirement for chemical fertilizers

increased environmental conservation less hours spent in farmlands

increase in yields and plant productivity increased personal income earnings poverty alleviation overall social well being
Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

Status of plant biotechnology in Africa

adapted from Brink, J.A. et al 1998

North Africa Morocco

micropropagation of forest trees, date palms development of disease-free and stress tollerant plants molecular biology of date palms and cereals field tests for transgenic tomatoes

Tunisia
stress tollerance and disease resistance genetic engineering of potatoes tissue culture of date palms, prunus rootstocks and citrus DNA markers for disease resistance
Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

Status of plant biotechnology in Africa (contd)

adapted from Brink, J.A. et al 1998

West Africa Cameroon

tissue culture of theobroma (cocoa tree), hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree), coffea arabica (coffee tree), dioscorea sativa (yam) and xanthosoma mafutta (cocoyam) in vitro culture for the propagation of banana, oil-palm, pineapple, cotton and tea

micropropagation of cassava, yam, banana and ginger and medicinal plants

Nigeria

embryo rescue for yam

regeneration of cowpea, yam, cassava and banana genetic engineering of cowpea for virus resistance marker assisted selection of maize and cassava: DNA fingerprinting of pests and microbial pathogens

Senegal
production of rhizobial-based bioferttilizers in vitro propagation of faidherbia albida, eucalyptus canaldulensis sesbania rostrate and acacia senegal MICERN centre for the West African sub-region

Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

Status of plant biotechnology in Africa (contd)

adapted from Brink, J.A et al 1998

East and central Africa Burundi

in vitro production of ornamental plants - orchids; tissue culture of medicinal plants micropropagation of potato, banana, cassava and yam

Democratic Republic of Congo

in vitro propagation of potato, soybean, maize, rice and multipurpose trees
production of rhizobial-based bioferttilizers tissue culture of medicinal plants

Kenya
production of disease free plants micropropagation of ornamentals and forest trees

in vitro selection for salt resistance in finger millet

micropropagation of banana, potatoes, strawberries, sweet potato, citrus, sugar cane transformation of potato with Feathery Mottle Virus coat protein gene

in vitro long-term storage of potato and sweet potato

MICERN providing biofertilizers to East African countries
Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

Status of plant biotechnology in Africa (contd)

adapted from Brink, J.A. et al 1998

East and Central Africa (contd) Uganda

micropropagation of banana, coffee, cassava, granadella, pineapple, potato and sweet potato in vitro screening for disease resistance in banana production of disease free plantlets of potato, sweet potato and banana

Southern Africa Madagascar

tissue culture of disease-free rice and maize plantlets and medicinal plants

production of bioferttilizers for groundnut and bambara groundnut

Zimbabwe
genetic engineering of maize, sorghum and tobacco micropropagation of coffee, cassava, tobacco, ornamental plants, potato and sweet potato

Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

Status of plant biotechnology in Africa (contd)

adapted from Brink, J.A. et al 1998

Republic of South Africa

Genetic engineering
Cereals: maize, wheat, barley, sorghum, millet, sunflowers and sugarcane Vegetables and ornamentals: potato, tomato, cucurbits, ornamental bulbs cassava and sweet potato Fruits: apricot, strawberry, peach, apple, table grapes and banana

Molecular marker applications

Cultivar identification: potatoes, sweet potatoes, ornamentals, cereals and cassava Markers for disease resistance in wheat and forestry crops

Tissue culture
Production of disease-free plants: potato, sweet potato, cassava, dry beans, banana and ornamental plants Micropropagation of potato, ornamental bulbs and rose rootstocks Embryo rescue of table grapes, sunflower and dry beans Long-term storage of potatoes, sweet potatoes, ornamental bulbs and cassava Forest trees, medicinal plants and indigenous ornamental plants
Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

The road ahead

Africa lags dramatically behind other regions in implementation of biotechnology This situation risks to exacerbate social inequities and plunge the Continent deeper into misery and total dependence on the developed countries for subsistence Governments of African countries must refocus attention on agricolture
Amoako 2003

Public funding of R&D in agricoltural biotechnology is mandatory to boost the overall sustainable productivity of more nutritious food in the Continent Plant biotechnology should pass from laboratory tests and feild trials

..to commercial production

Courtesy of WARDA
Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

Positive signals
Creation of ACCI at the University of Natal, South Africa for training scientists in biotechnology of African crops adaptable to the African environment Increased government budget for biotechnology research and development in Nigeria Similar initiatives in other countries of Africa would certainly turn around the destinies of their citizens and disseminate the smile in the faces of these children

Courtesy of WARDA

Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003

Conclusions You can not rationally argue with the hungry on the potential health risks that may derive from being overfed If African countries fail to feed the present generation of their citizens due to fears of the potential dangers deriving from GM foods, then there would probably not be any future generations of Africans to protect from such potential dangers

Responsible biotechnology is not the enemy; starvation is. Without adequate food suplies at affordable prices, we cannot expect world health, or peace
Jimmy Carter

Alexander E. Ochem ICGEB Trieste, Italy