National Agriculture Biotechnology Council in Saskatoon

Posted May 27, 1997


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
97-05-16-AG

National Agriculture Biotechnology
Council
to hold 9th annual meeting in
Saskatoon

Saskatoon SK, May 27, 1997 -- Today's agricultural industry
faces a number of important challenges. One of the most
critical is the need to feed an increasing world population
despite a shrinking natural resources base challenged by
global climate change, desertification, environmental
pollution and other stresses. Social and political pressures
require that the agricultural industry meet these
challenges in an ethical and economical fashion, ensuring
environmental stewardship and conservation of
biodiversity.

Recent advances in agricultural biotechnology have led to
the development and commercialization of many products
that promise to sustain and/or increase food production. At
the 9th Annual Meeting of the National Agricultural
Biotechnology Council (NABC) - Agricultural Biotechnology:
ResourceManagement in Challenged Environments -
attendees from diverse groups will have an opportunity to
discuss and debate the ability of the agricultural industry
to address political and regulatory issues as agricultural
biotechnology products move from the research and
development stage to the commercial arena, and the use of
these new agricultural biotechnology products to meet the
needs of producers in challenged environments.

Scheduled for June 1-3, 1997, the meeting will be hosted
by NABC member institution University of Saskatchewan,
Saskatoon, Canada. Attendees will assess the potential of
agricultural biotechnology products to enhance agricultural
production in challenged environments, while at the same
time maintaining sustainability and conserving
biodiversity. The meeting will include three days of in-
depth, informative sessions comprising invited paper
presentations and workshop sessions.

To set the stage for the workshops, participants are
informed by talks given in plenary sessions. Among the
speakers are Alex McCalla, Director of Agriculture and
Natural Resources at the World Bank, and Mark Winfield,
Director of Research with the Canadian Institute for
Environmental Law and Policy.

Dr. McCalla, whose paper is entitled Agbiotechnology in the
21st Century: The Promise and the Pitfalls, received his
first two degrees from the University of Alberta and his
doctorate in Agricultural Economics from the University of
Minnesota. Best known for his research in international
trade, he was a founding member and co-convenor of the
International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium, and
served as Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee of the
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
from 1988 to 1994. Dr. McCalla is currently leading a major
effort to revitalize the World Bank's commitment to rural
development.

Dr. Winfield, whose paper is entitled Can We Trust
Agbiotechnology to Solve Our Problems?, holds a masters
degree and doctorate in political science, and a B.A. in
Science and Technology Studies from the University of
Toronto. In July 1996, he was a member of the Canadian
delegation to the meeting of the Expert Working Group on
Biosafety under the Convention on Biological Diversity in
Arhus, Denmark. He is currently cochair of the
Biotechnology Caucus of the Canadian Environmental
Network, and has recently completed a term as the vice
president of the Conservation Council of Ontario, Canada.

Facilitating Dialogue: The Workshops
Continuing the NABC tradition of providing a forum where
people of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints can meet in
an environment conducive to the exchange of ideas, the
meeting workshops are designed to promote dialogue,
establish a common knowledge base, identify areas of
agreement and disagreement, reach consensus, where
possible, and develop recommendations.

Each participant will join one of three workshops. After
each plenary session, participants will discuss the themes
presented and issues raised. They will then be charged to
explore the various issues and opportunities arising from
the impact of these changes.

For more information on the Annual Meeting and to receive
a detailed brochure, contact the NABC office at 607-254-
4856, or via e-mail at nabc@cornell.edu. For those
unfamiliar with the NABC, copies of previous annual
meeting proceedings are available by contacting the NABC
office at the above number or E-Mail address.


For more information, please contact:

Jane Baker Segelken
NABC Executive Coordinator
(607) 254-4856
E-mail: nabc@cornel.edu

Jim Germida Bryan Harvey
Conference Co-Chair Conference Co-Chair
(306) 966-6836 (306) 966-5795
E-mail: germida@sask.usask.ca E-mail:
harvey@duke.usask.ca