The final report of the expert consultation meeting on "Public agricultural research: the impact of intellectual property rights on biotechnology in developing countries", held on 24-27 June 2002 in Rome, Italy, is now available. The meeting was organised by FAO in co-operation with the University of Tor Vergata. Experts from biotechnology research institutions in Argentina, Brazil, China, Cuba, India, Mexico, The Philippines, South Africa and Zimbabwe attended, as well as representatives from the World Bank, the World Intellectual Property Organization, the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, the International Service for National Agricultural Research, The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, the interim Science Council of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, USDA, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Netherlands, the Rockefeller Foundation and the private sector. The 8-page report includes sections on i) setting the scene: identification of constraints, needs and opportunities within public sector research institutions ii) policy issues at institutional, national and international levels and iii) identifying strategies to strengthen public sector biotechnology research for ensuring food security and poverty alleviation. It then concludes with six main recommendations. See http://www.fao.org/biotech/docs/torvergatareport.htm or contact [email protected] for more information.

30/10/2002