Ag Biotech and Seed Systems Home
About the project
Sponsored by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, the project “Ag Biotech and Seed Systems In Asia And Africa” (FAS Agreement Number: FX20TA-10960R013) has three components. It involves (1) the online and on-site training of executives and policymakers of national seed and biotech authorities in Asia (the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam) and the African Union; (2) virtual and face-to-face U.S.-based training of senior technical officers, mid-level managers, scientists, and researchers of the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture; and (3) on-site training of scientists, researchers, and officers of African biotechnology and seed authorities.
The goal is to develop executives who will drive policy development and reforms in biotech R&D, as well as scientists and researchers with a strong grasp of the role of biotechnology innovations in advancing agriculture, seed production, and trade. The objectives are (1) to support the incorporation of biotech and innovative breeding techniques into seed sector improvement initiatives, (2) to share ways in which biotech can advance food security and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, (3) to ensure the availability of high-quality seeds to small-scale producers, and (4) to identify trade policies that ensure farmers’ access to biotech innovations.
The two-year project is being implemented by the Seed Science Center (SSC) of Iowa State University with assistance from the International Food Policy Research Institute, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and private consultants.
The following serve on the project’s management unit:
Manjit K. Misra
Director, Seed Science Center
Professor, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Iowa State University
mkmisra@iastate.edu
Judith Chambers
Director, Program on Biosafety Systems
International Food Policy Research Institute
J.Chambers@cgiar.org
Marc Cool
Global Seed Policy Leader
Corteva Agriscience™
marc.cool@corteva.com
Adelaida Harries
Co-owner and Founder, C&H Consulting
adelaida.harries@gmail.com
Cynthia Hicks
Communication Specialist, Seed Science Center
Iowa State University
cghicks@iastate.edu
Neil Hoffman
Scientific Advisor, Office of the Deputy Administrator in Biotechnology Regulatory Services
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
neil.e.hoffman@usda.gov
Dirk Maier
Director, Consortium for Innovation in Post-Harvest Loss and Food Waste Reduction
Professor, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Iowa State University
dmaier@iastate.edu
James Reecy
Associate Vice President for Research
Professor, Department of Animal Science
Iowa State University
jreecy@iastate.edu
Lulu Rodriguez
Global Programs Lead, Seed Science Center
Iowa State University
lulurod@iastate.edu
About the USDA-FAS
The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is the foreign affairs agency with primary responsibility for the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) overseas programs—market development, international trade agreements and negotiations, and the collection of statistics and market information. It also administers the USDA's export credit guarantee and food aid programs and helps increase income and food availability in developing nations by mobilizing expertise for agriculturally led economic growth. The FAS mission statement reads, "Linking U.S. agriculture to the world to enhance export opportunities and global food security".
About the SSC
The Seed Science Center at Iowa State University is a global center for excellence in seed science, technology, and systems. It operates the world’s largest and most comprehensive public seed testing laboratory that analyzes seeds of 300 species for over 350 seed-borne pathogens. It offers the only online curriculum in the world on Seed Science, Technology, and Business. SSC projects in 79 countries over the past 20 years have helped to expand producers’ access to quality seed, facilitate seed trade, and promote the growth of national seed systems and industries. Link to seeds.iastate.edu