February 22, 2001

Register Now For A Biotech Workshop

An intensive one day biotechnology workshop will be held at the Doublewood Inn of Fargo on April 4. The workshop is sponsored by the NDSU Extension Service through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The workshop will provide basic information on the science, safety, regulation, and public perception of biotechnology. Individuals who are frequently faced with issues surrounding biotechnology are encouraged to attend.

A registration form for the workshop can be found on the Web at http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/biotech/ click on the workshop icon. Registration forms are also available from: Char Perrin, Dept. of Plant Sciences, NDSU, Fargo, ND 58105-5051, phone (701) 231-7125 or e-mail at cperrin@ndsuext.nodak.edu.

The registration fee is $25.00 and the deadline for registering is March 23. Extension staff should register for the workshop through the Spring Extension Conference registration.

The day will start with an introduction to current crop varieties modified by biotechnology with Michael Peel, assistant professor of plant sciences at NDSU. Sessions on understanding biotechnology and its basic applications will be lead by Don Lee of the department of agronomy University of Nebraska.

The first afternoon session, a review of some new bio-engineered varieties, will be lead by Peel and Duane Berglund, NDSU extension service agronomist.

Other sessions include: Biotechnology Products and Human Health Issues lead by Phil McLean, professor of plant sciences at NDSU and Gene Berry, associate professor in NDSU’s veterinary and microbiology department.

Ted Labuza, food science professor at the University of Minnesota, will lead a discussion on the regulation of transgenic crops by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The workshop will feature two breakout sessions. In session A, Gary Goreham, NDSU associate professor and chair of the sociology/anthropology department will discuss the social and ethical considerations of agro-biotechnology. Julie Garden-Robinson, NDSU extension food and nutrition specialist, will do a presentation on consumers’ considerations of agro-biotechnology.

In session B, biotechnology’s effect on markets, especially in Europe, will be lead by Dave Lambert, chair of the NDSU agribusiness and applied economics department. The other session features Bill Wilson from the NDSU agribusiness and applied economics department leading a discussion on what impact the next generation of biotechnology may have on markets.

The workshop is part of an outreach and education effort funded by a USDA grant that was awarded to a consortium of nine land-grant institutions in Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa and North Dakota through the USDA’s Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems.

The consortium will address economic, ethical and social aspects of agricultural biotechnology. Results will be used to develop education and outreach materials for various audiences to help them understand the benefits and risks of products developed through biotechnology.

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Source: Mike Peel, (701) 231-8037, mpeel@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern (701) 231-6136, Richard_Mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu