Biotechnology: International Trends and Implications for the Future of Agriculture Wild Geese Lodge, 2 Buckland Lane (off Alpes Road), Teviotdale, Harare Wednesday, September 11, 2013 2:00PM – 5:00PM The First Biotechnology Outreach Event in Zimbabwe will be held on Wednesday, September 11, from 2:00PM-5:00PM at Wild Geese Lodge in Harare. This outreach program seeks to foster dialogue on agricultural biotechnology, ultimately supporting policy and regulation development, as well as building of scientific capacity in this important field. This information will benefit both smallholder and commercial farmers, and could lead to greater environmental, economic, trade, and food security dividends. This event is presented by the National Biotechnology Authority of Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the University of Zimbabwe, Climate XL, and the U.S. Embassy. The program will include a variety of lectures from distinguished scientists, including Prof. Wayne Parrot (University of Georgia) and Prof. Idah Sithole-Niang (University of Zimbabwe) both who will address pertinent issues such as: biotechnology research in Zimbabwe; strategic partnerships for biotechnology research; benefits, risks and drawbacks of increased use of biotechnology to business community; key concerns of consumers and how they can be addressed; priority areas of biotechnology for NGOs; and how can they better engage on the topic of biotechnology. Dr. Wayne Parrott is currently a professor of Crop Science at the University of Georgia, where he has been for the past 25 years. His area of expertise is in Plant Breeding and Genomics. He conducts research on the development and deployment of transgenic crop plants. Dr. Parrott has published over 80 journal articles in refereed publications, along with 12 book chapters and three patents. He has served on the Editorial Boards of Plant Cell Reports, Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture, and Crop Science. He has been elected chair of the biotechnology section of the Crop Science Society of America and of the plant section of the Society for In Vitro Biology, and is a fellow of the Crop Science Society of America and of the Society for In Vitro Biology. Dr. Idah Sithole-Niang is a Professor of Molecular Biology and Virology at the University of Zimbabwe. She serves as the Technical Advisor for sub-Saharan Africa in the Program for Biosafety Systems, and is a coordinator of the Network for Genetic Improvement of Cowpea for Africa. She is Chair of the Board of Trustees of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Chair of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) Steering Committee, and a member of the Partnership to End Hunger in Africa, a Member of the Rhodes Selection Committee, Trustee of the Joshua Nkomo Scholarship Fund, and the Vice Chairperson of the Research Council of Zimbabwe. Sithole-Niang holds a PhD in Biochemistry from Michigan State University.
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 08:55:41 +0000
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