Supplying crop biotechnology to the poor: Opportunities and constraints

Abstract

Unlike the public-sector research that launched the Green Revolution, private firms based in industrialised countries have done the majority of agricultural biotechnology research and almost all commercialisation of genetically modified (GM) crops. This paper examines consequences of the emergence of a few large companies as leaders in the commercialisation of biotechnology by addressing issues of access to technology, costs of conducting research and distribution of economic benefits. To provide context, we first review the status of crop-biotechnology research globally: who is benefiting from the technology? We then analyse the role of intellectual property rights, market access and industry concentration, public sector research and GM crop biosafety regulations in determining observed R&D by firms. The paper recommends policy measures that allow transfer of current technology to the poor and generate more biotechnology research focused on problems of the poor.

Safe use of Cry genes in genetically modified crops

“…An important trait used in GM-plants is resistance to insect pests. Development of GM-crops containing Bt genes is a step toward making agricultural system profitable for the producers including small farming community through increased earnings by reduction in chemical pesticides as well as farm labor required to protect crops from the insect pests infestation (Pray and Naseem 2007). Profitability earned by cultivating GM-crops may be diverted to improve the quality of life (Mal et al 2011;Hellmich and Hellmich 2012).…”

Fruit skin color and the role of anthocyanin

“…In addition, identified key genes involved in fruit ripening and/or flavonoid production can be used as targets for marker development in breeding programs. Since the production of the first transgenic plants in the 1980s, a wide diversity of patents have been sought, and granted, on all aspects of the process, ranging from the underlying methods for tissue culture to the means of introducing the heterologous DNA, and to the composition of the DNA construct so introduced (Dunwell 2005;Pray and Naseem 2007). The amount of patent information available in the area of plant transformation alone can be judged by the fact that a search of the US application database (http://www.bios.net/daisy/bios/ patentlens.html) alone for ''transgenic plant'' and ''method'' returns substantial results.…”

Challenges for effective marker-assisted selection in plants

“…In parallel, public investment has been reduced. Hence, some advocate that the strategic leadership role of the public sector is strengthened, research functions are reallocated to the private sector, and new policy and organizational mechanisms are used to stimulate pro-poor research in and for developing-country agriculture (Spielman 2007), or even recommend policy measures that allow transfer of current technology to the poor and generate more biotechnology research focused on problems of the poor (Pray and Naseem 2007).…”