A US citizen who claimed he had "invented" a new bean, and took out a patent on the yellow "Enola" variety has once again had his claim defeated in the courtroom. But despite the result, the case raises important questions about the effectiveness of biopiracy laws, and their ability to adequately protect small farmers.

When a consignment of carotene-rich cassava roots was packaged and sent for bioavailability tests, there was the usual, hopeful wait for results. Ten months later and those results, soon to be officially announced, suggest that the carotene contained in yellow-flesh of the so-called "egg yolk" cassava has good bioavailability, meaning it can be easily absorbed by humans, and converted into the essential micronutrient vitamin A.

Representatives from the agricultural research sector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) met at CIAT on 19 and 20 October to participate in the Regional Consultation on Agricultural Research for Development for LAC.

A team of academic, governmentand industry researchers has completed a first draft of the cassava (Manihot esculenta) genome. The project is an important first step in accelerating the pace of research on this subsistence crop and addressing some of the many limitations that face cassava farmers around the world.