|
“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 – 10:00 am
|
Registration of Participants
|
10:00 – 11:00
|
Inauguration Session
Master of Ceremonies: Ms. Purvi MehtaBhatt,
India Coordinator, SABP Welcome Remarks
Dr. Ashok Gulati, Director in Asia, IFPRI-Delhi Office,
India and
Dr. Nagesh Kumar, Director General, RIS
Introduction to the Dialogue – Dr. Mark W. Rosegrant,
Director, Environment and Production Technology Division,
IFPRI, USA
Inaugural Keynote Address
To be determined
Vote of Thanks - Dr. Sachin Chaturvedi, Fellow, RIS
|
11:00 – 11:30
|
Photo Session
Coffee/Tea Break
|
11:30 – 12:50 pm
|
Session 1. Economic Effects of Biosafety
Regulations:
The Production Side
Chairperson:
Dr. Mangala Rai, DG, ICAR, India
•
|
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, Bangalore
|
•
|
Illegal Seeds and Regulatory Costs of Bt Cotton in
India -
Dr. Bharat Ramaswami, Professor, Indian Statistical
Institute, India
|
•
|
Cost structure and seed competition for Bt cotton
in India –
Dr. Latha Nagarajan, Post-doc Fellow, EPTD, IFPRI, USA
|
•
|
Regulations and Private Sector in India
– Dr. R.K. Sinha, Executive Director, All
India Crop Biotech Association, India
|
|
12:50
– 1:20 |
Open Forum
Discussion of the panel: Effects
of regulation for farmers and developers: number of approved
GM events, regulating by variety rather than by event, price
of GM seeds and illegal seed systems. How to balance risk
management with technology benefits?
|
1:20
– 2:30 |
Lunch Break |
2:30
– 3:50 |
Session 2. Marketing Regulations
of GM Food: The Consumer Side
Chairperson:
Ms. Rita Teaotia, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare, GOI
•
|
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 |
|
3:50
– 4:20 |
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?
|
4:20
– 4:35 |
Coffee/Tea Break |
4:35
– 6:15 |
Session 3. International Trade Concerns
| Chairperson: |
Dr. Sardana Vijay, Centre for International
Trade in |
| |
Agriculture and Agro based Industries |
•
|
Regulating GM Foods: A Comparison of Approaches
- Dr. Morven McLean, President, AGBIOS Inc., Canada
|
•
|
Assessment of the Potential Loss of Trade to GM-Sensitive
Regions due to Introduction of Future GM Crops in India
– Dr. Antoine Bouet, Senior Research Fellow,
MTID and Dr. G. Gruere, EPTD, IFPRI, USA
|
•
|
Segregation and International Trade – Dr.
Rajesh Mehta, Senior Fellow, Research and Information
System for the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries
(RIS), India
|
•
|
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
|
|
6:15
– 6:45 |
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?
|
6:45
|
End of Day 1 |
7:00 |
Welcome Dinner |
Friday, August 25, 2006
|
9:00
– 10:20 am |
Session 4. Regulating Environmental
Externality: Post-Release Regulations of GM Crops
Chairperson:
|
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
|
•
|
Insect Resistance Management in India – Dr.
Usha Barwale, Director, MAHYCO, India
|
•
|
Biosafety and Biodiversity: Issues for India –
Dr. Pushpam Kumar, Professor, Institute of Economic
Growth, GOI
|
•
|
“Title of presentation” - Dr. David
Hoisington, Global Theme Leader, Biotechnology, ICRISAT
|
|
10:20
– 10:50 |
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?
|
10:50
– 11:05 |
Coffee/Tea Break |
11:05
– 12:25 pm |
Session 5. Information Policy and
Public Acceptance of Biotechnology
Chairperson: Dr. Suman Sahai, Convener, GeneCampaign
•
|
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 Policies 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 |
|
12:25
– 12:55 |
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?
|
12:55
– 2:00 |
Lunch Break |
2:00
– 4:20 |
Session 6. South Asia Initiatives
on Biosafety and Biotechnology
Chairperson:
Dr. Ranjini Worrier, Member Secretary-GEAC, GOI
•
|
World Bank-UNEP-GEF – Dr. Eija
Pehu, Senior Advisor, Rural Development Department |
•
|
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 |
| • |
Department of Biotechnology – Dr. T.V.
Ramanaiah, Director |
•
|
Indian Council of Medical Research – Dr.
Vasantha Muthuswamy, Senior Deputy Director General |
•
|
Overview of ABSPII Initiatives on Biotechnology in
South Asia - Mr. K. Vijayaraghavan, Regional Coordinator,
South Asia, ABSP II |
| • |
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.
|
4:20
– 4:35 |
Coffee/Tea Break |
4:35
– 6:40 |
Session 7. Policy Panel Discussion:
Economic Consideration and Biotechnology Regulations in India
Chairperson: Dr. Mark W. Rosegrant, IFPRI
The panel consists of representatives from
| • |
Ministry of Agriculture – Smt.
Rita Sharma, Financial Adviser and Additional Secretary,
Department of Agricultural Research and Education |
| • |
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 |
| • |
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare – Ms.
Rita Teaotia, Joint Secretary |
| • |
Department of Biotechnology, MOST – Dr.
K.K. Tripati, Adviser |
| • |
Adviser, Minister for Science and Technology - Dr.
S. Rao, Adviser |
| • |
JK Seeds Agri-Genetics Limited – Dr. P.S. Dravid
|
5-10mn - each reaction to the most important issues raised
during the meeting
45mn - Series of question from the audience and debate
|
6:40 |
Valedictory Session/Closing Remarks
| • |
Dr. Deepak Pantel, Vice Chancellor,
Delhi University |
| • |
Dr. Sharad Joshi, MP and Farmer Leader |
| • |
Dr. Nagesh Kumar, DG, RIS, India |
| • |
Dr. Josette Lewis, Senior Biotechnology Advisor
, USAID |
| • |
Dr. Mark W. Rosegrant, Director, EPTD, IFPRI |
|
7:30
|
End of Conference
|
|