AgBioForum, vol. 07, no. 1&2 (2004)
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Special Issue: Progress, Achievements and Constraints for Plant Biotechnology in Developing Countries. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the contents of this issue.
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Item The Impact of Bt Crops on the Developing World(AgBioForum, 2004) Huesing, Joseph; English, LeighGenetically modified (GM) plants are grown on more than 67 million hectares in 18 countries worldwide. A major trait used in GM crops is plant resistance to insects; this trait is based on several Bt proteins. The benefits accruing to farmers growing Bt crops are substantial across a number of geographies and economic strata, especially in developing countries. These benefits include increased crop yields, reduced pesticide use, less environmental damage, less fungal contamination, and reduced labor. Constraints to broader use of GM traits in a wider variety of food crops and in a larger range of countries include the lack of regulatory bodies in some countries, access to credit, support institutions such as extension or seed company technical advisors, and public acceptance, especially as it relates to international trade.Item Why We Partner : Collaborations Between the Private and Public Sectors for Food Security and Poverty Alleviation through Agricultural Biotechnology(AgBioForum, 2004) Horsch, Rob; Montgomery, JillIt is a natural human value to share with others, and there are good business reasons for a company such as Monsanto to share as well. Monsanto has a track record of sharing knowledge and technologies with the public sector. Such technologies include genes that impart traits of agronomic value and the methods required to integrate these into crop species. Knowledge (such as the first working draft of the rice genome) and agricultural know-how (such as conservation tillage methods) have been made available to researchers and farmers around the world. Information and products shared in such ways do not compete directly with our commercial pursuits, but can and do make a profound difference in growers' lives. Monsanto does not give away finished products, but shares the work of making valuable products available to smallholders at reasonable cost and in appropriate quantity. Over the years, partnerships have been built around the world with nonprofit NGOs, universities, government laboratories, and intergovernmental organizations. Farmers are the most important partner of all, because they know their environment, their problems, and the relevance of solutions better than anyone else does.Item Social Constraints on Crop Biotechnology in Developing Countries(AgBioForum, 2004) Stone, Glenn DavisWesterners often see the social components of agriculture in developing countries as constraints on development. However, the same social components play vital roles in facilitating cultivation. Of particular relevance to the future of genetically modified (GM) crops is the importance of the social component of indigenous management skill. Developing world farmers rely on observations of each others' fields and on information and interpretations passed among each other. Along with the benefits that genetic modification has the potential to offer, it is important to keep in mind ways in which the technology may also disrupt this social component of agriculture. Two possible forms of disruption are decreased recognizability and accelerated rate of technological change.Item Consumer Acceptance of Genetically Modified Food Products in the Developing World(AgBioForum, 2004) Curtis, Kynda R.; McCluskey, Jill J.; Wahl, Thomas I.Worldwide consumer response toward food products made from genetically modified (GM) ingredients has been largely negative. However, the majority of the previous studies on consumer attitudes towards food products were conducted in developed countries in Europe as well as Japan. The small number of studies conducted in developing nations obtain different results from those of the developed world. This paper considers the motivations for consumer attitudes towards GM foods in developing nations. We conclude that the generally positive perception towards genetically modified foods in developing nations stems from more urgent needs in terms of food availability and nutritional content. Additionally, perceived levels of risk may be smaller due to trust in government, positive perceptions of science, and positive media influences. This is contrary to the smaller benefits and higher perceived risks found in many developed countries, and hence, the rational for low or nonacceptance of GM foods in those countries.Item What's the Holdup? Addressing Constraints to the Use of Plant Biotechnology in Developing Countries(AgBioForum, 2004) Kent, LawrenceAgricultural biotechnology offers great potential benefits to farmers in developing countries, but so far only a small handful of genetically modified (GM) crop products have been planted in only a few developing countries. This paper discusses the reasons why more GM crops have not reached farmers in more developing countries. It argues that publicly funded research efforts have largely failed, so far, in developing GM crops adapted to developing country needs, because of inadequate funding and insufficient focus on producing products. It argues that privately created GM technologies -- such as Bt maize -- have a better chance of reaching farmers in developing countries, but the transfer of such technologies is hampered by high biosafety regulatory costs, high seed regulatory costs, inadequate intellectual property protection, and local concerns about losing export markets. Overcoming these obstacles will require more money and product focus in public sector institutions, expanded efforts to improve regulatory environments, and the nurturing of local farmer constituencies for GM technologies.