Outreach and Training Activities in Bangladesh

AFSI Newsletter - July 2022

Furthering the impact of capacity building activities AFSI organized in Bangladesh earlier this year, Drs. Andrew Roberts, Bhavneet Bajaj, and Vibha Ahuja returned to Dhaka in June 2022 to conduct additional outreach. This started with the Fourth Workshop of the IBO Training Program, followed by the Workshop on Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Genetically Engineered Plants and finally, the Biotechnology Outreach Conference. This work was carried out as part of AFSI's South Asia Biosafety Program (SABP), which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and works to identify and respond to training needs for GE food, feed, and environmental safety assessment. The SABP team and in-country partners provide technical assistance to the biosafety risk assessment and research communities in South Asia and is committed to developing a network of trained, authoritative local experts to communicate about the science of agricultural biotechnology and its biosafety to interested stakeholders.

South Asia Biosafety Program

Biotechnology Outreach Conference

On June 14-15, 2022, AFSI co-organized the Biotechnology Outreach Conference with Biotech Consortium India Limited (BCIL), in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service. The event brought together 117 research scientists, developers, and users of biotechnology, providing them with an opportunity to discuss current developments, understand each other’s perspectives, and learn about the use of biotechnology in Bangladesh. Plenary sessions involved presentations and panel discussions on various aspects of biotechnology, including research and development in Bangladesh, regulations, trade in products of modern biotechnology, and science communication.

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Workshop on Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Genetically Engineered Plants

The second event in a series of activities AFSI is co-organizing with the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), this in-person workshop covered technical concepts related to the safety assessment of foods derived from genetically engineered plants, the global experience with genetically engineered food and feed, and the regulation of modern biotechnology products in Bangladesh. This was a by-invitation-only event for BFSA staff, committee members, and other relevant stakeholders, with a total of 40 participants. Future in-depth technical training for officers or committee members who will be responsible for technical reviews are being planned as part of SABP's continued collaboration with BFSA.

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Fourth Workshop of the IBO Training Program

Organized in partnership with the Bangladesh Ministry of Agriculture and BCIL, this was the fourth event in a by-invitation-only series targeting Institutional Biosafety Officers (IBOs) and Committees (IBCs) at research institutions engaged in biotechnology research and development to ensure they are aware of their obligations under the biosafety regulatory system. This workshop covered confined field trials (CFTs), including how to plan and conduct a CFT, requirements for risk assessment and risk management in the context of CFTs of GM plants, understanding the application process for CFTs and the requirements in Bangladesh, and standard operating procedures for conducting a CFT.

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