IICA to participate in meeting on the genetic resources of Latin America and the Caribbean

San Jose, Costa Rica, November 17, 2011 (IICA). The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) will participate in the most important meeting of researchers in the field of genetic resources in the hemisphere. The biannual meeting next week will be held in Ecuador.

From November 21-23, the Eighth International Symposium on Genetic Resources for Latin America and the Caribbean (SIRGEALC) will take place in Quito, and will be attended by some 600 researchers, students and farmers, as well as representatives of the major genetic resource networks in the hemisphere.

At the meeting, IICA will promote a more comprehensive management of knowledge in the conservation and use of the agro-biodiversity in Latin America and the Caribbean.

On the first day, Pedro Rocha, Coordinator of the Biotechnology and Biosafety Area of the Institute, will make a presentation on the urgent need to address these two fields as they relate to food security, climate change, the institutional framework and the public policies of the region.

In addition, Cristina Monteiro Machado from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), will report on the current status of the studies the corporation is conducting on the use of microorganisms as genetic resources for the production of biofuels.

Francisco Enciso, an IICA Specialist in the Management of Technological Innovation, stated that during the meeting the regional plant genetic resource networks that receive technical support from the Institute will be encouraged to engage in dialogue.

These networks are REMERFI (Mesoamerica), NORGEN (Northern Region), REDARFIT (Andean Region), CAPGERNET (Caribbean), TROPIGEN (Tropical South America) and REGENSUR (Southern Region).

According to Enciso, IICA specialists and those of projects sponsored by the Institute have participated in the SIRGEALC symposiums for over ten years, with support from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Biodiversity International.

Reports and other digital documents on research supported by IICA in the area of genetic resources and the conservation and use of agro-biodiversity may be downloaded atwww.iica.int/esp/programas/innovacion/Paginas/recursosgeneticos.aspx. The agenda for the 2011 SIRGEALC symposium is available at: www.sirgealcecuador.com.

For more information, contact: 
francisco.enciso@iica.int
pedro.rocha@iica.int