Workshops &
Technical Training

Advancing the Understanding of Biotechnology Issues

Overview

As new biotechnology is developed, countries need to have the capability to understand and assess these technologies. The Agriculture & Food Systems Institute recognizes the need to help countries develop and strengthen their institutional governance to do so.

What We Are Doing

We regularly conduct trainings and workshops on a variety of topics to advance understanding of biotechnology issues. Our trainings provide technical assistance to the biosafety risk assessment and research communities and further support governments’ efforts to implement functional and scientifically sound regulatory processes for agricultural biotechnology.

“Workshops were very interactive and gave in-depth knowledge of the topic. Group discussions during the workshops made everyone appreciate the topic and provided an opportunity for attendees to express their views about GM crops and their implications.”

Dr. Manoj V. M., Scientist, Division of Crop Improvement, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute

“The SABP webinar provided a unique opportunity to increase the knowledge of young researchers of BSMRAU about biosafety regulations, manuals, and assessment guidelines to contribute to GM crop research to achieve food security for sustainable development in Bangladesh.”

Nur Uddin Mahmud, Student, Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU)

“It was my second time participating in the South Asia Biosafety Conference, and I have benefited greatly from this conference. It was a large gathering of scientists from around the world, and I shared and received lots of ideas from the participants, not only on the biosafety rules and regulations during the plenary session, but also cutting edge research technology such as CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing.“

Dr. Dipali Rani Gupta, Lecturer, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University

“This three-day event was greatly informative, with discussions of biosafety policies and regulatory frameworks currently implemented not only in Bangladesh, but also in other countries, including India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Nigeria. It was a great opportunity to hear ideas and experiences from different experts working at the policy level in these countries.”

Dr. M. G. Mostofa, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University

Discover

Publications

Paraguay’s Path Toward the Simplification of Procedures in the Approval of GE Crops

Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology | August 18, 2020

This paper presents the recent evolution of the regulatory system in Paraguay toward the establishment of a simplified procedure for GE crops that have been already assessed by sound and experienced regulatory systems, taking into account several scientific criteria. Dr. Carmen Vicién, Agriculture & Food Systems Institute in-country partner, was a co-author of this paper, which references the Agriculture & Food Systems Institute’s involvement in the Partnership for Biosafety Risk Assessment and Regulation in Paraguay.

Capacities for the Risk Assessment of GMOs: Challenges to Build Sustainable Systems

Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology | April 5, 2018

The need for functional risk assessment bodies in general, and in the biosafety field in particular, demands continued efforts and commitment from regulatory agencies, if results that are sustainable in time are to be achieved. Dr. Carmen Vicién, Agriculture & Food Systems Institute in-country partner, was a co-author of this paper, which references the Agriculture & Food Systems Institute’s involvement in the Partnership for Biosafety Risk Assessment and Regulation in Paraguay and the use of Agriculture & Food Systems Institute eLearning courses in Kenya.