User:IvanRodrigoArtunduaga

Dr. Ivan Rodrigo Artunduaga-S is an Agricultural Engineer, Master of Science in Plant Physiology and a Ph.D., Phi Kappa Phi, in Crop Breeding with a minor in Plant Biotechnology from Oklahoma State University. His postdoctoral working experience has been focused on scientific research management in Latin American developing countries at various levels, such as governmental, international, non-governmental and academic.

He has a vast experience in the biotechnology field; as part of the FAO, IICA and IPGRI's group of experts, he assisted in the creation of the FAO Latin American Biotechnology Network (REDBIO); the Andean Genetic Resources Network (REDARFIT), and the Andean countries Decision #391 for the access of genetic resources.

He was a Biosafety and Plant Genetic Resources Unit's Head at the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) and initiator and Chairman of the Colombian National Biosafety Committee from April 1999 to March 2002.

Currently, he is doing some assignments as Technical Research coordinator of plant breeding companies in performing all the Biotechnology/Biosafety's Experiments trials in the Andean countries, especially in Colombia. as prerequisite to commercial seed production and seed commercialization approval for genetically modified products.

Since 2005, he has taught postgraduate courses in Environmental Law and New Agro-Biotechnologies at the Externado de Colombia University, the oldest private university in Colombia and its most prestigious academic law school.

He has been involved in biosafety issues since 1995, when he was selected as one of 15 technical experts at the international panel of experts of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which met at El Cairo in May 1995 for studying the necessity and modalities of a Biosafety Protocol for reporting to the Second Conference of the Parties of the CBD.

For over 20 years, he worked at the Colombian Agriculture Institute (ICA), which is the Ministry of Agriculture's institution in charge of Plant and Animal Health Research and Inspection Services, Food Safety and Agricultural Sustainable Development and Monitoring in Colombia. He was in charge of leading interdisciplinary research teams and was responsible for planning, conducting and evaluating scientific research programs that resulted in governmental decision-making tools.

He is currently assisting several Latin American Countries to revise their national regulations for assessing environmental risks associated with the introduction, producing and commercializing agricultural Genetically Modified products.