Workshop on Higher Education and Professional Responsibility in CBRN Applied Sciences and Technology across the Sub-Mediterranean Region 3-4 April 2012. Palazzo Zorzi, Venice Session 2. Science and Society - Identifying Priorities and New Technologies Challenges

1. Biotechnology for Health and
Food Security
Pr. Najat Mokhtar
Hassan II Academy of Sciences &
technology
‘ Morocco

2. biotechnology
Any technological application that uses
“
biological systems, living organisms, or
derivatives to make or modify products
or processes for specific use.”

3. biotechnology
• considerable benefits
• potential risks

4. Potential benefits
• increase crop yields.
• drought- and pests resistant and salt-
tolerant crops
• Biofortified staple foods

5. Potential benefits
• Vaccines
• Sequencing pathogen genomes
• Molecular diagnostics
• Tissue engineering
• Recombinant drugs,…..

6. Potential risks
• Effect on human & animal health
• Effect on the environment

7. Who are the beneficiaries?
• Private sector
• Developed countries

8. Intellectual property
Problems of:
rights
 assuring equal access to genetic
resources,
 sharing benefits on a global level,
 avoiding monopolization
 Effect on food security in developing
countries

9. Food security
Food security
‘’all people, at any time, have access to
nutritious & safe food”

10. Impact of Biotechnology on food
security and health
• Biotech R&D in private sector in developed
countries
• International patents
• Absence of regulatory framework in
developing countries

11. Conclusions &
Recommandations
• Biotech can be relevant to food security
and health needs in developing countries,
• Role of the university, regional
collaboration, and the establishment of
legal framework and regulation policies
• Public sector involvement
• Research & development activities

12. Increased Developing
Countries’ Contributions but
Large Knowledge Gap
Developed countries
Developing countries
Number of Papers in Health Biotechnology
in SCI Expanded 1993-2005

13. Role of international
organizations
• Provide assistance to:
• Help developing countries to strengthen
the scientific & legal capacity to properly
manage biotechnology products
development and related risk
assessment.
• can play a paramount role in fostering
south-south collaboration and should
consider this collaboration as a part of
their global health efforts

14. Thank you