|
“Economic
Consideration of Biosafety and Biotechnology Regulations
in India: A Policy Dialogue” |
August
24-25, 2006
|
The
Claridges, New Delhi, India |
|
Thursday,
August 24, 2006 |
9:00 – 9:30 am |
Registration of Participants |
9:30 – 10:30 |
Inauguration
Session
Master of Ceremonies: Purvi Mehta-Bhatt, India Coordinator, SABP,
India
Welcome Remarks
Dr. Ashok Gulati, Director in Asia, IFPRI-Delhi Office, India
and
Dr. Nagesh Kumar, Director General, RIS, India
Introduction to the Dialogue – Dr.
Mark W. Rosegrant, Director, Environment and Production
Technology Division, IFPRI, USA
Inaugural Keynote Address
Honorable Dr. G.K. Chadha, Member, Prime Minister of
India’s Economic Advisory Council
Vote of Thanks - Dr. Sachin Chaturvedi, Fellow, RIS, India
|
10:30 – 11:00 |
Photo Session
Coffee/Tea Break |
11:00 – 12:20
pm |
Session
1. Economic Effects of Biosafety Regulations:
The Production Side
Chair: Dr. Mangala Rai, Director General, ICAR, India
•
|
Economic Impacts of Transgenic Crops in Developing Countries
– Dr.
Terri Raney, Senior Economist, FAO, Rome, Italy |
•
|
High Cost of Biosafety Regulation, an Impediment
in Introducing Technology in Smaller Crops - Partnerships: An
Alternative to Share Costs – Dr. Arvind Kapur, Managing
Director, Nunhems India Pvt Ltd, India |
•
|
Illegal Seeds and Regulatory Costs of Bt Cotton in India -
Dr. Bharat Ramaswami,
Professor, Indian Statistical Institute, India |
•
|
Regulations and Private Sector in India – Dr.
R.K. Sinha, Executive Director, All India Crop Biotech
Association, India |
|
12:20 – 12:50 |
Open Forum
Discussion of the panel: Effects of regulation for farmers
and developers: number of approved GM events, price of GM seeds and
illegal seed systems. How to balance risk management with technology
benefits? |
12:20 – 2:00 |
Lunch Break |
2:00 – 3:20 |
Session
2. Marketing Regulations of GM Food: The Consumer Side
Chair: Dr. S.R. Rao, Advisor Ministry of Science and Technology,
GOI, India
•
|
Labeling, Segregation and Traceability of Genetically
Modified Food: An Overview of Economic Effects in Developed
Countries – Dr.
Peter W.B. Phillips, Director, College of Biotechnology,
University of Saskatchewan, Canada |
•
|
Labeling Policy in China – Dr.
Xiangyang Chang, Professor and Deputy Head, Department
of Management, College of Economics and Management, Nanjing
Agricultural University, China |
•
|
Labeling Policy in the Philippines - Mr.
Abraham Manalo, Executive Secretary, Biotechnology
Coalition in the Philippines, Philippines |
•
|
Labeling Policy in India: A Preliminary Economic Analysis
– Dr.
Sangeeta Bansal, Associate Professor in Economics,
Jawaharlal Nehru University, India |
|
3:20 – 3:50 |
Open
Forum
Discussion of the panel: Mandatory labeling of GM food in
India: where are we now? Is there a demand for consumer information?
Is labeling science based? What would be the effect of labeling on
poor farmers and consumers?
|
3:50 – 4:05 |
Coffee/Tea Break |
4:05 – 5:45 |
Session
3. International Trade Concerns
| Chair: |
Dr. Vijay Sardana, Centre for International
Trade in |
| |
Agriculture and Agro based Industries |
| • |
Regulating GM Foods: A Comparison of Approaches
- Dr.
Morven McLean, President, AGBIOS Inc., Canada |
| • |
GM crops and International Trade: the Case of India–
Dr. Antoine Bouet, Senior Research Fellow, MTID and Dr.
Guillaume Gruere, EPTD, IFPRI, USA |
•
|
Harmonizing Trade Related Regulations of GM Food – Dr.
Sachin Chaturvedi, Fellow, RIS, India |
| • |
Effects of International Regulatory Harmonization and International
Agreements (for Trade) – Dr. Pradeep Mehta, Secretary
General, Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS), Jaipur, India
|
|
5:45 – 6:15 |
Open
Forum
Discussion of the panel: Is segregation feasible? Import
approval regulations for GM soy oil: what is the role of science and
economic considerations? What about other processed food products?
|
6:15 |
End of Day 1 |
7:00 |
Welcome Dinner |
|
Friday, August 25, 2006
|
8:30 – 9:30 am
|
Session
4. Regulating Environmental Externality: Post-Release Regulations
of GM Crops
Chair:
|
Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Vice Chancellor, The Energy
and |
| |
Resource Institute, India |
| • |
Insect Resistance Management: Economics of Bt
Cotton Refuge in China -
Dr. Fangbin Qiao, University of California Davis,
USA |
•
|
Biosafety and Biodiversity: Issues for India – Dr.
Pushpam Kumar, Professor, Institute of Economic Growth,
GOI |
•
|
Biosafety of Transgenic Crops to Non-Target Organisms –
Dr. Hari C Sharma, Dr. M.K. Dhillon, Dr. KK Sharma and Dr. DA
Hoisington, ICRISAT, India |
•
|
“Evolution of Regulation and Policy Around GM Crops
in Asia and Africa: An Overview” – Dr.
Willy de Greef, Director, Program on Biosafety
Systems, EPTD, IFPRI, USA |
|
9:30 – 10:00 |
Open
Forum
Discussion of the panel: What are the efficient mechanisms
to maximize the sustainable use of transgenic crops in India? What
could be the role of market driven strategies versus regulatory requirements?
|
10:00 – 10:15 |
Coffee/Tea Break |
10:15 – 11:55 |
Session
5. Information Policy and Public Acceptance of Biotechnology
Chair:
Dr. P. Chengal Reddy, , Consortium of Indian Farmers Associations
(CIFA), New Delhi
•
|
Consumer Response to Information and Second-Generation Genetically
Modified Foods in India – Prof
Tom Wahl, Director, IMPACT Center, Washington State
University, USA |
•
|
Consumer/Farmer Information, Media, and Perceptions
of Biotechnology - Dr. Pakki Reddy, Project Coordinator,
APNLB, India |
•
|
Information Needs for Farmers: Education, Extension, Outreach
– Ms.
Purvi MehtaBhatt, SABP, India |
•
|
Pressure Groups and Information Biases: Are Poor Farmers Well-represented
in Decision-making Process? - Dr. Shiv Visvananthan, Senior
Fellow, Dhiru Bhai Ambani Institute for Information and Communication
Technology, India |
|
11:55 – 12:30 pm |
Open Forum
Discussion of the panel: How should public participation
be taken into account? What information strategies should be used
to build trust in approval process? What is the role of private and
public institutions on public awareness? |
12:30– 1:30 |
Lunch Break |
1:30 – 3:50 |
Session
6. South Asia Initiatives on Biosafety and Biotechnology
Chair: To be Determined
•
|
World Bank-UNEP-GEF – Dr.
Eija Pehu, Senior Advisor, Rural Development Department,
USA (to be presented by Dr. Morven McLean) |
•
|
Challenges for Countries to Implement the Biosafety Regulations:
Economic and Legal Issues - Dr.
Balakrishna Pisupati, Coordinator, United Nations
University, Japan |
•
|
Public/Private Partnerships: The Example of CIMBAA for Insect
Resistant Vegetables – Dr. Derek Russell, Adjunct
Professor, University of Melbourne, Australia |
•
|
Indian Council of Medical Research – Dr.
Vasantha Muthuswamy, Senior
Deputy Director General, India |
•
|
Overview of ABSPII Initiatives on Biotechnology in South
Asia - Mr. K. Vijayaraghavan, Regional Coordinator, South
Asia, ABSP II, India |
| • |
South Asia Biosafety Program – Ms. Purvi MehtaBhatt,
India |
This session will give an overview of some of the current projects
and discuss the possibility of partnerships/collaborations between
the projects. |
3:50 – 4:05 |
Coffee/Tea Break |
4:05 – 5:15 |
Session 7.
Policy Panel Discussion: Economic Consideration and Biotechnology
Regulations in India
Chair: Dr. Mark W. Rosegrant, IFPRI
The panel consists
of representatives from
| • |
Ministry of Commerce and Industry – Mr.
Sanjay Kumar, Director, Trade Policy Division, Department of Commerce |
| • |
Ministry of Environment and Forest – Dr. Manoranjan
Hota, Additional Director |
| • |
Dept. of Biotechnology, GOI- Dr.
T.V. Ramanaiah, Director, Department of Biotechnology |
| • |
Adviser, Minister for Science and Technology - Dr. S. Rao,
Adviser |
| • |
JK Seeds Agri-Genetics Limited – Dr.
P.S. Dravid, President |
5-10mn
- each reaction to the most important issues raised during the meeting
45mn - Series of question from the audience and debate |
5:45 |
Valedictory Session/Closing
Remarks
| • |
Dr. Sachin Chaturvedi, RIS, India |
| • |
Mr. Larry Paulson, USAID, New Delhi |
| • |
Dr. Mark W. Rosegrant, Director, EPTD, IFPRI |
| |
|
|
6:15 |
End of Conference |
