Is there a role for biotechnology to protect eco-systems and biodiversity?

1. Is there a role for biotechnology to protect eco-systems and biodiversity? Prof Jocelyn Webster

2. Sustainable development in Africa Within the context of sustainable development (improving the quality of human life while living within the capacity of ecosystems), Africa needs to focus on: • provision of sufficient affordable nutrition. • improving access to affordable and effective health care • protection of the African environment • creation of jobs and the reduction of poverty.

3. Biobased Economy Conventional Fossil energy Landfill or incineration Process Product(s) Non-renewable feedstock Waste Biobased Biomass Bioproduct(s) Bioprocess Renewable bioresource By-product(s) Recycle into bioresource Georg Anderl, 2003

4. Biofuels

5. Why Biofuels? And Why Now? • Long term outlook for crude oil prices bleak – especially Peak Oil scenarios • Protection of the environment • Cleaner fuel specifications will result in less toxic metals, organic pollutants, particulates and gaseous emissions • Sustainable use of arable land, together with use of advanced farming practices • Job creation potential of biofuels, particularly in 2nd economy • Now • Because vulnerability to crude oil prices has never been this high • Because unemployment and critical skills gap has never been this high • Because a growing economy needs to use its resources sustainably • Because of climate change concerns

6. What is Biofuel • A natural liquid fuel made from renewable agricultural resources • Generally blended with conventional fuel • Can be used in existing engines and fuel injection equipment without modifications • Causes no perceptible differences in engine performance • Improves the properties and quality of conventional fuel

7. Environmental Benefits • Contains no sulphur • Reduced hydrocarbon emissions • Reduced CO emissions • Reduced particulate matter • NOx emissions not influenced • On a life cycle basis produces 78% less CO2 than conventional diesel • Non-toxic • → An environmentally friendly fuel

8. Case study South Africa

9. Benefits of Biodiesel Production for SA • Environmentally friendly fuel through indigenous production • SA is signatory to the Kyoto Protocol • Energy security and diversification • Contributes to regional economic development • Creation of employment opportunities (±1,500 jobs for 100 ktpa plant) • Immediate positive impact on BoP and increasing over time (> R1 billion) • Positive cost-benefit ratio • Strengthen domestic, rural agricultural economy • Gives farmers a viable alternative to e.g. maize • Assists in remedying protein deficiency – import substitution • Recognising these benefits the SA govt has set a Renewable Energy target of • 10,000 GWh by 2013. • Biodiesel is highlighted as one of the key opportunities to achieve this goal. • Focus area of AS-GISA initiative

10. Feedstocks Starch contents Maize (White or Yellow) 75% Wheat (Animal grade) 60% Sorghum 72% Bitter Sorghum 78% Casava 28% Sugar cain 28%

11. Maize Production in South Africa

12. Maize Production, Consumption, Exports and Surplus in RSA 1999 to 2005

13. Maize Surplus in the Future

14. 52 - 76 % Total Starch 48-71% Extractable Starch Fermentable Starch Kernel Composition 3 - 12% Oil 10 - 35% Moisture, other 6.5 - 15% Protein 8 to 12% Fiber

15. 1 TON Maize = 420 litre Ethanol 20 litre Bio-diesel 300 Kg DDGS

16. Local Market in 2015

17. Case study: South America

18. Biofuels and sustainability The capacity of global oil reserves is extremely limited, with their exhaustion forecasted to take place within 40 and 50 years. This justify the current attempts to produce fuels from renewable energy sources, like biofuels., as well as the global demand of environmental preservation and focused on the quality of human life on the Planet. Brazil is a world leader by promoting the production of sugarcane fuels, more technically and economically viable. Each hectare of sugarcane produces 8 thousand liters of ethanol, equivalent to 60 barrels of oil. The energy production is equivalent to 50% of the country’s oil consumption. This system captures 20% of Greenhouse emissions from fossil fuels.

19. Sugar cane value chain – exploring new opportunities for biotechnology – Brazil as a case study 7 million ha 72 thousand growers 360 mills & destillaries (Operation & projects) Harvest 400 million tons SUGAR 28 million tons ETHANOL 20 billion liters BAGASSE Bioplastic Future markets Ethanol Carbon credits Derived Food Lysine Pharmacy

20. ETHANOL - 2005 Status Brazil has 60 million ha planted with all sorts of products Sugarcane area: 6.0 M ha: 3 M for sugar and 3 M for ethanol (only 5%) Production: 420 M t Yield: 85 t/ha Ethanol yield: 8 k L/ha Ethanol Production: 18 Bi L 40% of our liquid fuel comes from agriculture, and therefore, it is renewable. Brazil is a model Employments: 1 million (direct) and 2,6 millions (ind.) 20

21. Physical Productivity Comparison Production of ethanol from SC spend less energy and is cheaper Need of ethanol for 2020 includes additional 20 Mi ha of sugarcane or 700 Mi ton of cellulosic biomass.

22. Total Area 846 million ha Total Farmland Available* 547 million ha - 65% (19% world) Planted Area 53 million ha - 10% Farmland available for planting (**) 494 million ha - 90% Exports US$ 48 billion - 1% Brazilian agricultural resources 200 million hectares are used for pasture. 90 million of which are ready for agriculture. Out of such 90 million, 22 million are ready for sugar cane. Is untrue to affirm that the increase in the production of sugar cane will affect the production of other types of food – One can multiply by 7 the existing area used for sugar cane for ethanol and by 3 and ½ the area used for sugar cane in Brazil; we would still have 70 million hectare left for the production of other types of food.

23. Biofuels and Biotech: possibility to improve productivity of lands New GM varieties developed by Brazilian private and public companies: 60% more sugar, IR and HT In 10 years, with the double of ethanol productivity per hectare, Brazil will produce over 15 billion in the same areas used nowadays. Near Future: GM varieties also resistant to abiotic stress (dried lands), symbiotic Nitrogen fixation • And... • Enhanced performance of yeasts, resistant to ethanol, etc. • - Utilization of Cellulosic Biomass can be made only with Biotechnology

24. Evolution of flex fuel car sales (2005) There is a great increase in the demand of ethanol – 80% of cars sold in Brazil have a FLEX engine [they run on both gasoline and ethanoll) 24

25. Well-to-wheel GHG emission reduction potential Contribution of biofuels for Green House Gases (GHG) emission reduction Source: IEA/OECD 2006

26. NE Castor oil / Soya / Palm oil / Cotton North Palm oil CW Soya / Castor oil / Cotton / Sun flower SE Peanuts/ Sunflower / Castor oil / Soya / Cotton South Soya / Cotton / Sun flower / Rape seed BRAZIL´S BIODIESEL Potencial capacity of different raw materials

27. Biodiesel 60% from Soybean Cotton

28. Increased possibility for small farmers from the Northeast of Brazil Possible model to Africa Castor Oil (mamona) Palm oil (dendê) Jathopra

29. Biodiesel • To achieve economically successful production of biodiesel, we still need massive investments in research and development to speed it up the current trends of its learning curve. • And here, again the full deployment of biotechnology can also contribute significantly to its success.

30. Global Warming Biodiesel versus Diesel emissions of Green House Gases and particles Source: EPA

31. Challenges of the Global Warming and the agriculture in dry lands • Few available water • Excessive heat • Saline soils • Weak soils • Biotech is a strong ally for environment conservation, and it can be used with the objective of reducing the global warming effects

32. Drought Tolerant Maize to generate drought tolerant crops Hydrated Dehydrated

33. How biotechnology can overcome these challenges? • 1. Reducing the use of agrichemicals:  reduction of costs  reduction of environmental impact  reduction of fuels and water  reduction of emission of CO2 by transgenic crops, due of its compatibility with the direct tillage method, which ensures the preservation of the soil. The reduced use of agrichemicals from 1996 to 2005, added to other resulting factors, led to a reduction of more than9 million tons of CO2 released to the atmosphere, which would be the same as all cars in the city of São Paulostopped for a year. In Brazil, previous results from GM cotton cultures study, showed a reduction of0,9 to 2,6 million liters of dieseland 153,6 to 460,7 million litters of waterin 512 mil ha in 2007/2008. Besides, it is considered a potential reduction of3.416 t CO2emission in the atmosphere.

34. How biotechnology can overcome these challenges? • 2. Improving the tolerance to abiotic stress: drought, salinity, heat – limiting factors for agricultures of poor quality areas. Fungi from the Dead Sea capable to live in extremely salty enviorement : Aspergillus versicolor, Eurotium amstelodami, Eurotium rubrum and Cladosporium caldosporoides

35. Research How biotechnology can overcome these challenges? • 3. Improving the quality of products: increase of foods shelf life • Improving the nutritional quality of foods: increase of vitamins and proteins. • Producing commercially valuable industrial and pharmaceutical compounds in plants :increase of the value of ag-products adapted for each region More Vitamin A

36. Thank you for listening!Slides from Ethanol Africa and CBI Brazil have been used in this presentation Prof. Jocelyn Webster Executive Director, AfricaBio africabio@mweb.co.za Tel: +27 12 667 2689

37. Address by UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, to African Leaders at the AU Summit in Banjul, Gambia on 5 July 2006 Africa had much to be proud of BUT there are still many hurdles to overcome. For example: Extreme poverty continues to increase HIV/AIDS continues to outpace our efforts to halt it Food security continues to elude us The environment continues to degrade Youth unemployment continues to rise The conflicts continue to outrun efforts for a solution Many Governments continue to suppress free elections and a free press Many Governments continue to practice or tolerate corruption Natural resources continue to be exploited for the benefit of a few

38. Hunger Map of the World FAO

39. Role of Agriculture in Africa 50 - 75% of the labor force is involved in agriculture 70% of the population depends on agriculture as its sole source of income Africa’s cereal production is the lowest in the world - 1.7 tons/ha. compared to the global average of 4.0 tons/ha. 25% of all grain consumed in Africa is imported 40% of all crop yields may be lost due to post-harvest damage The population will double to 1.5 billion by 2025 Most African countries depend on agriculture for their foreign currency earnings

40. Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa Only South Africa (1) has commercial plantings of GMOs Burkina Faso, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe (5) have reported field trials with GMOs Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe (20) are engaged in GMO research and developmentInformation as of July 2006

41. Application of GM Crops to Food Security in Africa Using SA as a Case Study As another tool to produce more food e.g. maize, soybean As a tool to generate cash that can be used to purchase food By growing a cash crop e.g. cotton By supplying an industry e.g. biofuel

42. GM Maize in South Africa(Results from independent study Un. Reading UK)

43. Maize Stalk Borer

44. Comparison of Yield from Bt and Non Bt Maize Plots at Pankop (June 2006)

45. What is Coming that will have Benefits for Food Security and Health? Drought tolerance maize Crops suitable for industrial applications e.g. biofuels, plastics Modified cassava and cowpea Health benefits in oil crops Allergen free peanuts

46. Factors Determining the Future of Biotech in Africa Proactive policy - political will Africa deciding for Africa-trading partners e.g. EU countries not negatively influencing decision making Biosafety legislation and institutions Ability to assess the technology for ourselves Scientific capacity building Ability to appropriate and adapt biotechnology IPR regimes Protect and encourage private investment Public awareness and acceptance Credible competent communication

47. Agricultural GM technology is here to stay It is currently underutilized, despite its specific appeal to a wide range of farming systems Biotechnology and biosafety legislation and regulations need to be comprehensive but not too costly or restrictive Negative influence from trading partners has affected Africa

48. www.cib.org.br www.biotecpragalera.org.br