It seems to me that the comments by Peter Rosset [14 November] do not say much that is very useful about how biotechnology may be used to contribute to food security in the developing world.
Companies (and indeed countries) can spend their money how they wish, but at least some are guilty of-over hyping the value of biotechnology to the third world, when they are pursuing a purely commercial agenda. But even this is nothing to do with the limitations of biotechnology, but, as with so many things, is due to a lack of real interest in the problems of developing countries by the richer countries - in short the usual story. OK, the research and development strategies of big business and the wealthier countries are not really aimed at easing the problems of poorer countries, but blaming biotechnology isn't going to change anything.
When potentially useful biotechnological products are available, however, they should at least be considered for what they are, or what improvements they can effect - in comparison to the alternatives of course, but not dismissed out of hand just because more of everything is needed.
Trevor Fenning, Germany
Fenning@ice.mpg.de
[To contribute to this conference, send your message to biotech-room1@mailserv.fao.org For further information on the FAO Electronic Forum on Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture see http://www.fao.org/biotech/forum.asp ]
-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod1
Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 3:34 PM
To: 'biotech-room1@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: Why try biotechnology products in fight against hunger ?
I think that perhaps one of the interesting results of this conference will be that some of the scientists that participate become less self-assured of the evident and prominent place of biotechnology in the fight against hunger.
I want to come back to one of Trevor Fenning's argument in favour of biotechnology [10 November..Moderator]. He asks why not try the biotechnology products? I think that, again, he is presenting the question in the wrong way. The question is why try them? Furthermore, this idea of trial seems to me very insufficient. The trial is valuable if we have good arguments to think that it will prove useful and successful. It could not be based only on a superficial analysis that other methods have failed, as Trevor does with his brutal appraisal of the 50 years of fight against Vitamin A deficiency (VAD). On the contrary, a good analysis of why efforts have failed or are not giving all the results planned is fundamental to formulate useful proposals...and, eventually, to develop right arguments in favour of biotechnology.
Something that seems to me very evident in the debate on biotechnology is a corporation defence reflex: many scientists involved in this technology perceive the critics on biotechnology as a direct questioning of their work. That is of course a bit true but instead of having a defence position, they should recognise the weakness (evident for example in the case of golden rice) of the present general argumentation and look for a better one. For my part (but I am also judge and party because of my own implication in this field), I do believe that some biotechnology products already contribute and others could contribute to solve the question of food security. But, the question should be asked and answered case by case and not in general way.
Just a very recent example of what Peter Rosset has called the "drumbeat" [14 November] and in which I see an "alibi" of the private companies and of many scientists involved in this field: members of the Spanish network "plants genomes" have declared that the controversy on GMOs would not have existed if the golden rice would have been the first GM plant (UMH, 4/11/00)!!!
Michel FERRY
Directeur scientifique
Station de Recherche sur le Palmier Dattier
et les Systèmes de Production en Zones Arides
Apartado 996
03201 ELCHE
Espagne
tél: 34.965421551
fax: 34.965423706
e-mail: m.ferry@wanadoo.es
[To contribute to this conference, send your message to biotech-room1@mailserv.fao.org For further information on the FAO Electronic Forum on Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture see http://www.fao.org/biotech/forum.asp ]