Ag Biotech Conference Set

May 5, 2004

Internationally renowned academics from eight countries will gather on campus June 13 to 15 when U of G hosts the 16th annual National Agricultural Biotechnology Council (NABC) conference.

Focusing on the theme “Agricultural Biotechnology: Finding Common International Goals,” the diverse group of leaders from social and scientific disciplines will address the intersection of biotechnology with global issues such as reducing the ecological footprint, ensuring safe and healthy food, and improving quality of life.

M.S. Swaminathan, acclaimed by Time magazine as one of the 20 most influential Asians of the 20th century for his contributions to the Green Revolution movement in Asia, will open the conference with Kanayo Nwanze, director general of the West African Rice Development Association.

“We hope delegates across fields and sectors will bring varying ideas to the table about the place of biotechnology in addressing issues of food security, environmental sustainability and improved livelihoods,” says Prof. Alan Wildeman, vice-president (research) and chair of the NABC 16 planning com- mittee.

Other conference speakers include William Rees, co-author of Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth; Suzanne Harris, executive director of the International Life Sciences Institute in Washington, D.C.; and Toronto Star science writer Peter Calamai.

U of G is a member of NABC, a consortium of U.S. and Canadian research institutions that provides an open forum for concerned people worldwide to discuss and evaluate the potential effects of biotechnology.