Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Guide
Recommended resources for Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources

Web Links: Biotechnology

General Resources

University of Sydney Library Catalogue
A recommended subject heading on the University of Sydney Library Catalogue is:

Australian & New Zealand Resources

AusBiotech
AusBiotech is an industry body representing the Australian biotechnology sector. AusBiotech represents a broad range of traditional and entrepreneurial biosciences in human and animal health, agriculture and food, diagnostics, medical and veterinary devices, informatics, genomics, proteomics, manufacturing and environmental technologies.

Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing provides news and updates on health and healthier ageing for all Australians. Its Biosecurity Health Response page provides access to information for health professionals and the general public regarding Australia's response to biosecurity and potential biological hazard in Australia. Includes fact sheets, press releases, and biosecurity related links.

Biotechnology Australia
Biotechnolgy Australia is a multi-departmental Government agency, responsible for coordinating non-regulatory biotechnology issues for the Commonwealth Government, and seeks to provide balanced and factual information on biotechnology to the Australian community. Provides access to fact sheets, information on community issues, education and regulatory bodies.

Biotechnology
Published by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. This page provides links to a range of resources related to biotechnology.

CSIRO Biotechnology
Provided by CSIRO's Biotechnology Strategy Group, that was established January 2001 to provide a facilitating and coordinating role across CSIRO in order to bridge strategic issues facing the internal and external biotechnology environment. This website provides access to the full text CSIRO Biotechnology Strategy in pdf format, as well as information about biotechnology activities across CSIRO, and gene technology in Australia.

Gene Technology in Australia
This site aims to explain the science of gene technology, and provide descriptions of the activities of Australian scientists. Covers some aspects of the public debate on gene technology. Provides news on current events and research related to gene technology animal, agricultural, environmental science as well as hiuman health and nutrition.

National Farmers' Federation (NFF)
The National Farmers' Federation is the single national voice for Australian agriculture. NFF priorities are the broad national issues - economy, industrial relations, trade, business investment and costs and the environment. Rural community interests such as rural services, telecommunications, education and animal welfare are also represented. In the Media Centre , News Releases, Speeches, Submissions, Publications, Photo Gallery are available.

New Zealand Farmer and Grower Intentions to Use Gene Technology: Results from a Resurvey
A study conducted by Andrew Cook and John Fairweather, of Lincoln University, New Zealand examines the changes in the intentions, attitudes, and beliefs of farmers and growers in New Zealand regarding their use of biotechnology. Information about farmers attitudes, market acceptance, commercial viability, and environmental risk in relation to gene technology were gathered and compared against similar surveys conducted in previous years.

The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator
The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator has been established within the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing to provide administrative support to the Gene Technology Regulator in the performance of her functions under the Gene Technology Act 2000.
The Gene Technology Act 2000 came into force on 21 June 2001 and introduces a national scheme for the regulation of genetically modified organisms in Australia, in order to protect the health and safety of Australians and the Australian environment by identifying risks posed by or as a result of gene technology, and to manage those risks by regulating certain dealings with genetically modified organisms. This web site provides fact sheets, news and information regarding monitoring and compliance and GM guidelines.

Ministry of Research, Science & Technology (MoRST)
MoRST is a New Zealand government department which develops research and innovation policies and manages the publicly funded part of the RS&T system on behalf of the Government economic, environmental and social development for New Zealand. Policy statement documents are available online in full text.

New Zealand Ministry for the Environment
The Ministry for the Environment works with others to identify New Zealand's environmental problems and get action on solutions. It covers both the natural world and the places where people live and work. In its ISSUES pages, many of the big environmental issues for New Zealand in the first decade of the 21st century, such as economic and public health issues are discussed. The decline of unique plants, animals and ecosystems is seen as New Zealand's most pervasive environmental issue.

International Resources

American Plant Scientist Society (ASPB)
The American Society of Plant Biologists promotes the growth and development of plant biology, encourages and publishes research in plant biology, provides a forum for molecular and cellular biology and promotes the interests and growth of plant scientists in general. ASPB plays a key role in uniting the international plant science disciplines.
The ASPB publishes The Plant Cell, Plant Physiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology of Plants and others, providing access to special journal issues and other publication's contents.
This site also provides news releases, recent reports, and updates on programs and coalition activities on its Public Affairs pages.

Animal and Plant Health inspection Service (APHIS)
The Animal and Plant Health inspection Service (APHIS) is responsible for protecting and promoting U.S. agricultural health, administering the Animal Welfare Act, and carrying out wildlife damage management activities. In News and Info access to recent press releases and reports related to crop biotechnology as well as archived documents from 1995 onwards are provided.

AgBioForum
The Journal of Agrobiotechnology, Management & Economics publishes short, nontechnical articles reporting on current research. Both invited and submitted refereed contributions are published. AgBioForum is committed to providing a space where academics, private and public sector analysts, and decision makers can present timely scientific evidence to enrich the ongoing public debate regarding the economic and social impacts of agricultural biotechnology. AgBioForum is financed by the Illinois Missouri Biotechnology Alliance. IMBA is supported by a Congressional Special Grant to provide funding for University biotechnology research.
Provides an index of current and past articles.

Crop Biotech Net
Crop Biotech Net is the home of the Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology (KC). Regular updates on the global status of crop biotechnology, products and issues, regular news, communication materials, and links to other information sources are provided by this information service.

Nature Biotechnology
This is the website of Nature Biotechnology an online journal published by Nature Publishing Group. Full text articles are available in both html and pdf format.

Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture
Biotechnology provides powerful tools for the sustainable development of agriculture, fisheries and forestry, as well as the food industry.When appropriately integrated with other technologies for the production of food, agricultural products and services, biotechnology can be of significant assistance in meeting the needs of an expanding and increasingly urbanized population in the next millennium.
This web site, provided by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), provides access to the the FAO's Statement on Biotechnology as well as a selection of other documents available on the web and published by FAO in recent years concerning biotechnology in food and agriculture.

Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST)
CAST is a US based non-profit organisation that comprises of 38 professional science societies. Their mission is to "assemble, interpret, and communicate science-based information regionally, nationally, and internationally on food, fiber, agricultural, natural resource, and related societal and environmental issues to our stakeholders-legislators, regulators, policymakers, the media, the private sector, and the public. CAST assembles, interprets, and communicates science-based information regionally, nationally, and internationally on food, fiber, agricultural, natural resource, and related societal and environmental issues to our stakeholders-legislators, regulators, policymakers, the media, the private sector, and the public."

Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council (BBSRC)
BBSRC is the UK’s leading funding agency for academic research and training in the non-clinical life sciences. Many of their reviews and reports are freely available. They also produce discussion documents on issues of public concern, e.g. crop biotechnology.

Convention on Biological Diversity
Provided by the Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations Environment Programme. The Convention outlines a comprehensive strategy for "sustainable development" resulting from the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Includes the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, established within the framework of the Convention, for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and the sharing of the benefits of the use of genetic resources. This website provides news of upcoming meetings, recent press releases, publications and reports.

Food Standards Agency
The Food Standards Agency is an independent watchdog, established in the United Kingdom, to protect the public’s health in regards to food safety.Information about GM food is featured on this site and a report on consumer views of GM food is available.

Food Standards Agency
The Food Standards Agency supports a range of innovative events and activities to independently assess people's views of genetically modified food. Its GM and Novel Foods page provides a news archive, information on food labelling legislation, the GM debate, novel foods research and more.

GM Science Review
In May 2002, the UK Government announced that it was sponsoring a national debate on the genetic modification of plants ahead of a decision about the commercialisation of GM crops being evaluated in farm trials. The debate has three strands: a public debate, a review of the scientific issues and a study by the Strategy Unit into the overall costs and benefits of GM crops. Full details of the GM Science Review can be found at this web site.

What are the benefits of GM crops and what can they do?
A discussion of different varieties of crop, vegetable and fruit plants and how they attempt to meet the needs of the agri-food chain and consumers provided by EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries. EuropaBio's mission is to promote an innovative and dynamic biotechnology-based industry in Europe by fostering an worldwide open market and is committed to an open, informed dialogue with all stakeholders about the ethical, social and economic aspects of biotechnology and its applications. This websites provides news updates, information on upcoming events, and a Biotechnology Information Kit.

EuropaBio: The European Association for Bioindustries
EuropaBio has 35 corporate members operating worldwide. Members are involved in research and development, manufacturing, testing and distributing biotechnology products. Europabio contribute to the creation of a coherent legislation for bioindustries. And maintains the communication of information about biotechnology to the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of Ministers.

European Commission: Public Opinion Analysis
This is the website for the Public Opinion Analysis sector of the European Commission. The Archives section of this website gives us access to all surveys and studies conducted by the Public Opinion Analysis sector. Europeans and Biotechnology in 2002 is available in pdf format.

A Harvest Biotechnology Foundation International(AHBFI)
A Harvest Biotechnology Foundation International (AHBFI) aims to use biotechnology to fight hunger, malnutrition and poverty in Africa and the developing world by increasing agricultural yields and incomes by the Holistic use of biotech tools, techniques and interventions that lead to the removal of barriers and bottlenecks to sustainable agricultural development. By advocating the the use of the foremost and safest practices in biotechnology to produce substainable, disease-free crops which are of high nutritional value, A Harvest's aim is to make constant and lasting impact for food security and environmental safety in Africa and the developing world.
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International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Internetional Food Policy Research Institute is a FUTURE HARVEST center supported by the CGIAR. Its mission is to identify and analyze policies for the sustainable provision of food for the developing world. Its events inform all conferences, seminars, and workshops held by IFPRI; its research provides contents by themes and divisions. The article, Trade in Genetically Modified Food: A survey of Empirical Studies is available in pdf format.

International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAA)
The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) is a not-for-profit organization that delivers the benefits of new agricultural biotechnologies to the poor in developing countries. Provides links to more in-depth information about GM crops and related issues, publications and press releases on its resources pages.

National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy (NCFAP)
The NCFAP is an advocacy research organisation. The organisation produces research in the following areas: biotechnology, pesticides, international trade and development, and farm and food policy.

The Royal Society
As the UK's national academy of science founded in 1660, the Royal Society plays a crucial role as the champion of top quality science and technology. This web site delivers news, scientific policy, profiles, conference information and publications as well as a forum for discussion.
Its GM plants pages raise important issues for science and the public and encourages debate, informed by sound science, upon the potential benefits and risks of this technology. The Society has been offering policy-makers advice on GM plants during the development of this branch of science and have published a number of reports during recent years.