Harnessing Biotechnology for the Poor: Challenges ahead for capacity, safety and public investment

Abstract

IntroductionBiotechnology provides new opportunities for achieving productivity gains in agriculture. However, mobilizing modern biotechnology to serve agricultural research in developing countries also implies new investments, changes in resource allocations and growing responsibilities for policy-makers, research managers, and scientists. These responsibilities include determining the bene ts and risks of biotechnology applications, ensuring that productivity constraints affecting the livelihoods of the poor are addressed, and deciding how national research agendas embrace biotechnology. Government of cials assuming these responsibilities play a crucial role in setting policies, research agendas, and developing regulatory capacity for agricultural biotechnology. Their task is made dif cult because public budgets for agricultural research are severely constrained, human capacity is limited and extensive international debate on the merits and safety of biotechnology complicate timely decision-making.As a result of these debates, renewed effort is occurring to enhance developing countries' abilities to address the constraints and dif culties already listed. Bene ts expected from biotechnology for developing countries have been emphasized in recent academic and scienti c reports. Implications regarding the safe use and regulation of these technologies are considered in international fora and agreements, such as the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Information and communication technologies are being mobilized to help disseminate new knowledge gained from research, patent databases, and regulatory review. Long-standing and productive international collaboration in biotechnology continues, providing for capacity building, research partnerships, and dissemination of materials and technologies. Finally, developing countries themselves are making important public investments in research, policy and capacity.Will existing efforts, such as those already highlighted, ensure that bene ts from biotechnology reach those in need, and if not, what additional steps are required? This paper addresses these concerns by rst assessing the relevance of biotechnology for agricultural research in developing countries. This is followed by implications regarding safety, participation, and public investments available for biotechnology. Recent development reports, ISNAR research, and examples of international collaboration are summarized. Regarding biosafety, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and related expectations for capacity building, risk assessment, and the precautionary approach are described. A review of regulatory systems and public investments for biotechnology research in six developing countries is then presented. The paper concludes with policy recommendations regarding capacity, safety and investments that enhance public research and regulatory abilities.

A bibliometric assessment of ASEAN collaboration in plant biotechnology

“…For more than three decades, organizations and individual scientists in many parts of the world have recognized the importance of working together in areas like plant biotechnology-a set of technologies used to achieve food security, sustainable development of agriculture, forestry, and the food industry, and feeding a growing global population (Cohen 2001;Food and Agriculture Organization 2013;World Food Prize 2013). The applications of plant biotechnology range from relatively straightforward and inexpensive procedures of tissue culture to advanced applications of molecular biology, including genetic engineering (Hautea and Escaler 2004).…”

The case for regulating intragenic GMOs

“…It is, therefore, possible that intragenics may play a role in democratizing biotechnologies and in tailoring technologies for environmentally and socially sustainable development (Jefferson, 2001;Buiatti, 2005). Such a role would, however, require changes in current priorities of public and global R&D (Cohen, 2001;Russell, 2001). Questions of health and environmental risk, discussed above, would also remain a considerable issue for any attempts to use intragenics in the pursuit of socially and environmentally sustainable development.…”

Capacity Building for Agricultural Biotechnology in Developing Countries

“…Financial commitment 6 [8,9,24,27] Funding is allocated or committed to adopt, utilize or control agricultural biotechnology.…”

“…Regulatory system 5 [25], [8], [26], [14], [28] Regulatory systems are to control biotechnology adoption, utilization, safety and risk assessment, and market trades etc.…”

“…However, adoption of agricultural biotechnology implies new investments and changes in resource allocations, responsibilities and market structures. This generally requires intensive knowledge and resources over time, reinforcing a gap between developed and developing countries [8,9]. One of the critical determinants of availability and accessibility of the technology is a developing country's own capacity [10].…”