Mr. A. Raja, Minister of Environment & Forests said biotechnology has created enormous potential in health and medicine, agriculture, food technology, industrial technology, unlocking in new vista for tackling various complex problems of world food security.

Inaugurating a 3-day International Conference on the Implications of the Cartagena Protocol on Bio-safety in New Delhi today, he further said recent breakthroughs in biotechnology have led to rapid progress in understanding various aspects. They include genetic basis of living organisms, the ability to develop products and processes useful to human and animal health besides food and agriculture industry. Referring to the field of agriculture, he said transgenic or marker-assisted selection will assist in the development of high yielding crops. This will be needed to feed the world and save land from other pressures. The benefits of genetically modified crops will be better obtained in weed and insect control. Regarding major investment opportunities in biopharma industry, vaccines, recombinant therapeutic proteins and diagnostics will have promising future, the Minister said.

The Minister said the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety as an international legal agreement under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the only international law that deals specifically with the issue of genetic engineering and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Biosafety concerns needs to be addressed through the provisions of this Protocol. India is implementing a GEF-World Bank Capacity Building Project on Biosafety to address such issues.

Mr. Namo Narain Meena, Minister of State for Environment and Forests delievering key-note adress said that in the matter of biosafety laws and policies, India is one of early movers in the developing world, who introduced in the country biosafety rules even before the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was adopted at Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Since 1989 biosafety rules are being implemented at institutional districts, state and central levels in India. National Biodiversity Act 2002 and the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act 2001 (PPVFR) exist in the country. Mr.Meena said now it is time to work towards building up capacities to address the biosafety issues.

Earlier, third National Report to CBD and a book entitled "Biosafety issues & Challenges" were released. Dr.Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity and Secretary, Ministry of Env & Forests, Dr.Pradipto Ghosh gave introductory address. Mr.Bir Singh Parsheera, Additional Secretary, Ministry of E&F gave welcome address.

The Conference has been organized by the Ministry of Environment & Forests in association with Biotech Consortium India Limited and ITDC, New Delhi. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is an international legal agreement under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that deals specifically with the issue of genetic engineering and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It was adopted on 29th January 2000 after a long negotiation under the aegis of Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). India is a party to the Protocol.