Biotech Crops Bringing Benefits to
Health and the Environment – Private Sector Dialogue
News Release Issued by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
High Level Policy Dialogue for Agricultural Biotechnology
Canberra, Australia, January 21, 2007 -- A unique mix of small farmers,
corporate farmers, biotechnologists and policy makers from around the Asia
Pacific region met on Friday to share information on the potential for
biotechnology to address some important challenges facing agriculture.
The Private Sector Day, that preceded the sixth meeting of the APEC
High Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology, offered key
stakeholders an insight into how biotechnology can help farmers deal with
impacts of climate change and increase yields with fewer pesticides.
The gains from biotech crops were demonstrated by small farmers in Asia
through to large corporate farmers in
Australia
and
North America. This is why 10 million of
the worlds’ farmers now choose to grow over 100 million hectares of
biotech crops. More than half the worlds’ population now live in
countries growing biotech crops.
One of the speakers at the dialogue, the General Manager for
Biotechnology at Croplife
Australia,
Mr. Nicholas Woods, said the benefits of biotech crops are of increasing
interest in the Asia-Pacific region.
“The expanded use of safe agricultural biotechnology products is
helping to enhance human health, improve environmental safety and feed a
growing global population,” Mr. Woods said.
“For example, 10 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions
have been eliminated because farmers using biotech crops do not have to till
their land or use pesticide as much as in conventional farming.”
The Private Sector Day was the first day of the sixth meeting of the
APEC High Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology (Policy
Dialogue).
The HLPDAB is being held over three days in association with the APEC
Senior Officials related meetings in
Canberra
between January 15-26.
# # #
For further information or to arrange an interview contact:
Christopher Hawkins on +61 (0)433 810 844 or E-mail: ch@apec.org
Anita Douglas on +61
(0)420 945 613 or E-mail: ad@apec.org
www.apec.org
