March 3 – Seventeen participants from 10 BIC-ISAAA¹ networks convened together in the Philippines for the Annual BIC Network Meeting.

Philippine host led by Dr. Randy Hautea, Global Coordinator, Southeast Asian Center Director of ISAAA opened the meeting by challenging the participants to stir ISAAA knowledge centers, popularly known as Biotechnology Information Centers (BICs) to stir a "better balance of acceptance and adoption of biotech crops" in their respective countries. This can be done by making biotech knowledge easily accessible to various sectors of society, from policy to farmer clients.

In various parts of the world, biotech contributes to increasing food supply and making food more affordable with reduced stress and pollution to the environment. The BICs would be vital in influencing more biotech acceptance and adoption, and ultimately boost food production and security in every country where they operate.

Participants came from different countries hosting BIC including Vietnam, Thailand, China, Malaysia, Egypt, Kenya, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Philippines. The said meeting will last until March 5, 2009.

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¹ Biotechnology Information Center - International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications. In the Philippines, BIC is hosted by SEARCA.