Annex 1 List of Participants - OFAB

BACKGROUND
The Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB) is a platform that
brings together stakeholders in biotechnology and enables interactions between
scientists, journalists, the civil society, industrialists, lawmakers and policy makers.
It is a monthly lunch meeting that provides an opportunity for key stakeholders to
know one another, share knowledge and experiences, make new contacts and
explore new avenues of bringing the benefits of biotechnology to the African
agricultural sector.
It also provides an opportunity to make formal presentations and informal
discussions focusing on the relationships among science, technology, innovation,
environment, policy, trade, benefits-sharing and their impact on economic
development.
The forum was launched on 14 September 2006, at the Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi,
Kenya. Nairobi is ideal for OFAB as it has many universities and research
institutions conducting research in the life sciences, development organisations, UN
agencies, agricultural industries, farmer associations and civil society organisations.
Stakeholders are encouraged to be actively involved by participating in the
discussions, proposing new topics and possible speakers.
Objectives of OFAB
OFAB has been designed to accord stakeholders a unique and dynamic opportunity
to discuss all aspects of biotechnology with a view to making recommendations on
how best to harness its benefits in a responsible way.
The aim is to provide a platform for knowledge-sharing and awareness creation on
and understanding of biotechnology. Through the forum, scientists get the much
needed chance to impact policy makers on the need to mainstream science and
technology on Africa’s development agenda and on the need to financially support
R&D.
Above all, the forum should open avenues for networking and concretizing linkages.
Structure, Frequency and Venue
The monthly meetings of the forum will be held at the Jacaranda Hotel in
Westlands, Nairobi, every last Thursday of the month, from 12.00 noon to 2.00pm,
unless otherwise stated. Lunch will be served between 12.00am and 1.00pm,
followed by a 20-minute presentation by an invited speaker and 30 minutes of
discussions and wrap-up.
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