Agricultural biotechnology is a revolutionary tool that is transforming the agricultural sector. It has the potential to spur economic growth, increase productivity in the agricultural sector, reduce hunger and malnutrition, and lessen the environmental impact of agricultural production.
APEC's High Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology (HLPDAB) is a recognition of the importance APEC Ministers and Leaders place on member economies' work on the safe introduction of biotechnology products, and on obtaining public acceptance of these products.
Policy makers use the HLPDAB to develop regulatory frameworks, facilitate technology transfer, encourage investment and strengthen public confidence regarding biotechnology in order to increase agricultural productivity and protect the environment, with the ultimate objective of promoting food security.
The first high level policy dialogues on agricultural biotechnology took place in 2002.
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Work on low-level presence (LLP) has been approved as one of the main components of the 2010-2012 HLPDAB Workplan.
The APEC Toolbox project supported several exchange visits between APEC economies to create a positive investment environment for agricultural biotechnology, and will focus in particular on the areas of public policy development, public awareness and perception and risk communication.
In 2012, the second APEC Ministerial Meeting on Food Security took place in Kazan, Russia which resulted in the 2012 Kazan Declaration on APEC Food Security. The HLPDAB will continue to play a key role in addressing the issue of food security.
The HLPDAB also undertakes significant capacity building work to improve economies' understanding and implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, an international treaty governing the movements of living modified organisms resulting from biotechnology from one country to another.
The HLPDAB will also lend greater efforts to work closely with the APEC Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group (ATCWG) to focus on developing transparent, science-based approaches to agricultural biotechnology.
The 11th plenary meeting of the APEC High Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology (HLPDAB) was held on 26-27 May 2012 in Kazan, Russia. The meeting was chaired by Russia. The theme of the meeting was “Promote transparent and functioning regulatory systems to ensure safety and to facilitate investment in, and the development and application of, innovative biotechnologies for food security in APEC."
Participants discussed and reviewed the proposed HLPDAB Terms of Reference and the 2012 Work Plan. Members also discussed the implementation of the APEC Innovative Agricultural Technologies Initiative.
Presentations and discussions at the meeting focused on the following topics:
At the meeting, Russia put forward two initiatives to the representatives of the economies. The general themes are the development and coordination of systems of information sharing and knowledge exchange in the area of agricultural technologies; and the development and introduction of innovative agricultural technologies and biotechnologies, and improvement measures to mitigate impact of climate change.
The HLPDAB concluded with a panel discussion on LLP and the Biosafety Protocol. Discussants emphasized the need for transparent and functioning regulatory systems to ensure safety and to facilitate investment in, and the development and application of innovative biotechnologies and trade in agricultural biotechnology products to help ensure food security in APEC.
Dr Dmitry DOROKHOV (Mr)
Chair
Center Bioengineering of Russian Academy of Sciences.
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Thanawat SIRIKUL (Mr)
Program Director
APEC Secretariat
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