International Organizations

There are a wide variety of organizations involved in the discussion of biotechnology worldwide. This is a partial listing of some of the major players.

     Biotech advocates seek to facilitate the development of      biotechnology.
     Biotech opponents aim to prevent or regulate the spread of      biotechnology.
     Policy researchers analyze the impact of biotechnology.
     Regional and national organizations are involved in biotechnology      research and development.

Biotechnology Advocates

The Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project
USAID funded project to assist developing countries in the development and management of the tools and products for agricultural biotechnology.
http://www.iia.msu.edu/absp/index.html

BioTrack Online : OECD Working Group
OECD’s Programme on the Harmonization of Regulatory Oversight in
Biotechnology.
http://www.oecd.org/ehs/Service.htm
Information on:

regulatory developments in member countries
database of field trials
biotech product database
excellent charts of BT field trials by country and type
http://www.oecd.org/ehs/summary.htm

International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA)
Non-profit international organization that facilitates the acquisition and transfer of agricultural biotechnology from the industrialized countries to developing countries.
http://www.isaaa.org/

International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB)
Researches and trains in biotechnology, with a focus on the developing world.
http://www.icgeb.trieste.it/

Biotech Opponents

Controversies and Knowledge Gaps Concerning Genetically Modified Crops
by Wageningen University, commissioned by Greenpeace
This inventory lists unresolved issues regarding design, creation, testing, breeding, field-introduction and use of GM crops, by identifying knowledge gaps and controversies based on the current state of biological and agronomical sciences on these subjects.
http://www.mindfully.org/GE/Knowledge-Gaps-Greenpeace-Wageningen.htm

Food First
Nonprofit think tank and education-for-action center with a commitment to establishing food as a fundamental human right.
http://www.foodfirst.org/who/

Genetically Engineered Food Safety Problems
Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Application of Science and Technology
http://www.psrast.org/indexeng.htm

Rural Advancement Foundation International, Canada
RAFI is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to sustainable agriculture and socially responsible development.
http://www.rafi.org/

Shopping for True-Food: International Consumer Guides
A network of Greenpeace websites around the world that list sources of GM free food.
http://www.truefoodnow.org/gmo_facts/internationallists.html

The Third World Network
An independent non-profit international organization that researches and represents the interests of developing nations.
http://www.twnside.org.sg/bio.htm

Worldwatch Institute
Worldwatch is a nonprofit public policy research organization dedicated to informing policymakers and the public about emerging global problems and trends and the complex links between the world economy and its environmental support systems.
http://www.worldwatch.org/biotech/index.html

Policy Researchers

FAO Biotechnology Site
Biotech site of the Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations
http://www.fao.org/ag/guides/subject/b.htm

Harvard Center for International Development
Program to research and provide information on the implications of biotechnology for development
http://www.cid.harvard.edu/cidbiotech/index.html

IFPRI and Biotechnology
List of publications on biotechnology available online from the International Food Policy Research Institute of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
http://www.ifpri.cgiar.org/themes/biotech/biotech.htm

IFPRI: "Balancing the benefits of biotechnology" http://ink.news.com.au/theaustralian/issues/gene/biol.htm

ISNAR Biotechnology Service
A special project of the International Service for National Agricultural Research to provide advice on policy and management issues related to agricultural biotechnology.
http://www.cgiar.org/isnar/ibs.htm

Winrock: Wallace center for Environmental Policy
A US non-profit organization that conducts policy research and analysis "to further sustainable and equitable agriculture and food systems."
http://www.winrock.org/what/wallace_center.asp
Report on transgenic crops
http://www.winrock.org/Transgenic.pdf
Winrock policy on biotech
http://www.winrock.org/Biotech.pdf

Regional & National Organizations

ASEAN Biotechnology Network
Links to biotech centers in the ASEAN community
http://www.biotec.or.th/ascbiotech

European Union Biotechnology Program
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/biot1.html

FAO Technical Co-operation Network on Plant Biotechnology in Latin America and the Caribbean (REDBIO/FAO)
In Spanish.
http://rlc.fao.org/redes/redbio/

ISAAA Biotechnology Transfer Projects
In-depth information on projects in Africa, SEAsia, and Latin America
http://www.isaaa.org/projects.htm

Portugal
The Institute for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry, University of Minho
http://www.ibqf.uminho.pt/
Regulatory developments in biotechnology in Portugal
http://www.oecd.org/ehs/porreg.htm

South Africa
http://www.uct.ac.za/microbiology/gmos.htm
The BM Foods debate in South Africa

Thailand
National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biosafety
http://www.biotec.or.th/

Biotech organizations worldwide
Partial list, provided by Biotech Industry Organization
http://www.bio.org/links/international.html

Education Institutions/ Biotech Centers
http://www.cato.com/biotech/bio-edu.html

The Virtual Center of Biotechnology for the Americas
http://www.ibt.unam.mx/virtual.cgi

Internet Sources for more information on International Biotechnology

Biotechnology and Development Monitor
Independent journal, through U of Netherlands, SIDA, and IDRC Available free of charge on the internet.
Mission: “to support and improve policy and decision making in the field of research, development, regulation, and applications related to BT relevant to developing countries .” “forum for discussion on the positive and/or negative impact of biotechnological innovations and international regulations”
http://www.pscw.uva.nl/monitor/index.html

Transgenic Plants and World Agriculture
A 2000 Report co-authored by 7 National Academies of Science(Brazil, China, England, India, Mexico, US)
http://stills.nap.edu/html/transgenic/

ISNAR Biotechnology Publications
Books, papers, reports; most available online.
http://www.cgiar.org/isnar/projects/ibs/publicat.htm

IFPRI and Biotechnology
List of IFPRI publications on biotechnology available online
http://www.ifpri.cgiar.org/themes/biotech/biotech.htm

International Policy, News Reports
General or divided by region
http://www.biotech-info.net/inter_policy.html

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