BIO 2006 to Highlight the Future of Plant and Animal Biotechnology Benefits
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 2, 2006) – As farmers enter the second decade of commercial plantings of biotech crops, the BIO 2006 Annual International Convention will highlight the future of agricultural biotechnology. Conference attendees will learn how new applications of biotechnology will increase food production, improve plant and animal health, and provide consumers with healthier foods during the 14th annual international convention, April 9-12, 2006 at McCormick Place in Chicago, which is sponsored by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO).
“In the ten years since biotech crops have first been grown, the environment, farmers, and consumers worldwide have enjoyed many new benefits,” said Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of BIO. “Biotech crops are widely accepted by farmers in 21 countries, and have had an enormous global economic impact. Few technologies have had the extraordinary acceptance and growth rate that biotech crops have enjoyed.
“Agricultural biotechnology has changed the way farmers grow crops, and raise and breed livestock and poultry. The next generation of biotech products will offer consumers increased nutrition and health benefits, such as cereals and corns with improved protein quality, and soybeans that produce healthier oils with reduced saturated fat and trans fats.”
The Food and Agriculture track at BIO 2006 is the largest and most comprehensive agricultural biotechnology track ever in BIO’s history. The program features 17 sessions within the four subtracks: Plant Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology, Emerging Technologies, and Second Generation Products and Consumer Benefits.
For the first time BIO 2006 will feature the International Food and Agricultural Seminars on Sunday, April 9 as part of the International Program. The International Food and Agriculture Seminars will provide representatives from Australia, China, the European Union, India, Japan, and New Zealand to discuss plant and animal biotechnology projects currently underway in their respective countries.
Additionally, the Food and Agriculture Pavilion on the exhibit floor will showcase the role biotechnology has played in revolutionizing agriculture throughout the food chain. On display in the Pavilion will be a living field of biotech corn plants, farmers from developing countries who will discuss the benefits of biotech crops, and the Green Kitchen, a kitchen built with materials from bioproducts.
Advance media registration for BIO 2006 is now available online. Registration is complimentary for credential members of the news media. To register, please visit http://www.bio.org/events/2006/reg/. Only reporters and editors working full-time for print or broadcast news organizations may register onsite with valid media credentials. All freelancers and online publications must register in advance by Friday, March 31, 2006.
The following sessions on food and agriculture issues will take place over the course of the conference (for complete descriptions, go to http://www.bio.org/events/2006/speakers/sessionlist.asp?id=13):
Monday, April 10, 2006
A Decade of Experience with Plant Biotech: What’s Been Gained, What’s Been Learned, What Does the Future Hold? — 9:15 – 10:45 a.m.
Impact of Genomics on Animal Agriculture — 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
What’s In Store: The Next Generation of Biotech Benefits — 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Agricultural Biotechnology and the Consumer — 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Consumer Opinion’s Impact on Regulation, Marketing, Finding and Business Survivability in Animal Biotech — 9:15 – 10:45 a.m.
Agricultural Applications of Transgenic Livestock — 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Livestock Cloning: Producer Applications, Consumer Benefits — 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Development of Food and Agriculture Biotechnology in Three Latin American Countries — 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Adventitious Presence — Global Reality Behind the Forces of Nature — 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Animal ID and DNA Verification: Their Role in Health, Safety, Quality and Consistency — 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Plant-Made Pharmaceuticals — Challenges and Opportunities — 9:15 – 10:45 a.m.
Future Directions for Ag Biotech: Keys to Successful Partnerships — 9:15 – 10:45 a.m.
Water, Water Everywhere and Not a Drop for Crops — 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Driving New Vaccine Technologies from Concept to Market: The Animal Health Model — 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Measuring the Value of Agricultural IP: What’s It Worth? — 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Stem Cells in Plant Biotechnology — Industrial Use and Scientific Value — 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Charting a Course to the Global Marketplace: A Dash of Clarity, a Dose of Complexity and a Boatload of Biotech Grain — 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and 31 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.
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