The impact of biotechnology on food security may only be felt once fundamental issues have been addressed. While good germplasm of several crops exists, why is productivity in developing countries low ? Socio-economics, politics, inappropriate policies, pricing etc have a significant effect on how producers behave. In developing countries, a significant improvement in food production may only occur if policies are right and small farmers have access to inputs. There are intractable problems such as drought, soil fertility, etc. that limit production. Can biotechnology overcome these constraints? I see biotechnology having the greatest impact in the area of crop protection.
Denash P Giga
2 Fletcher Avenue
Khumalo - BULAWAYO
Zimbabwe
P.O. Box 629 BULAWAYO
Tel: 229846
e-mail: dgiga@gatorzw.com
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-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod1
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2000 9:30 AM
To: 'biotech-room1@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: Re: Availability, Access and Patents
Trevor Fenning [27 November] raises an interesting question to my mind: whether in fact patents will lead to diversity in the generation of new food crop innovations, or will it simply close the loop.
There is no evidence, or at least as far as I can see, that there is a strong relationship between innovation and technological progress. My hypothesis is that innovation comes from diversity. But, the trend in patents is that the ownership of intellectual property rights is in the hands of fewer and fewer companies. Most patents rights are bought from individual inventors as soon as they are out, because individual inventors do not have the Research and Development resources to take these ideas any further, other than having an idea patented on paper. So, in the food industry the shift from plant breeder's rights to patents over germplasm, is a new slant to this debate. And, the consequences of introducing patents, which is allowed under the new International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) agreement, facilitates concentration, and when you have concentration, you also create a disincentive for independent inventors or less capitalised firms from investing any further in innovation.
Is agricultural innovation not a key to its success? The question is whether biotechnology, as it is now, advances or limits innovation in food production. And, if so, how can we best determine that the innovation addesses priority concerns, especially for developing country farmers ? This would assume that we accept the idea that innovation in food production must no longer be the farmer's preserve - an issue that is equally political. Because this is about who should have control over the products of knowledge - where, traditionally, farmers were at the core of farming innovation. The problem with patents is that they introduce a new notion of property rights over intangibles, they reduce the incentive, to use Maussian terms, the encouragement of a 'gift economy' mentality. Where, particular in ancient farming, the 'gift economy' mentality that prevailed was to share knowledge, to share seeds, and other farming experiences. Now that research is in the hands of corporations (non-farmers) a new ethos is being introduced. You only give when giving in return, and not just for the sake of giving, as would be the case in 'gift economies'.
Saliem Fakir,
head of the World Conservation
Union Country Office in South Africa.
sfakir@icon.co.za
[Note: In Trevor Fennings message of 27 November (referred to above), the second last sentence of the 4th paragraph i.e. "Biotechnology has been in vogue for many reasons, but one reason it adds value to be added to otherwise low value products." should be read as "Biotechnology has been in vogue for many reasons, but one reason is that it adds value to otherwise low value bulk products"....Moderator]
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-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod1
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2000 10:38 AM
To: 'biotech-room1@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: Re: Can biotechnology overcome major constraints ?
Denash P Giga [29 November] writes: "There are intractable problems such as drought, soil fertility, etc. that limit production. Can biotechnology overcome these constraints? I see biotechnology having the greatest impact in the area of crop protection."
I feel that the reintroduction of native species of plants -- which, on the whole, are more productive and far more nutritious -- will address these problems as well as, or better than, GM crops. There are countless nutritious grains, vegetables, and legumes that are drought resistant and that thrive in poor soils. Historic trends -- mainly colonialism -- has supplanted these crops with crops nutritionally inferior and ill-suited for the habitats they are being forced to grow in. In addition, native plants are generally more pest resistant than the foreign invaders.
Jeffrey Reel, USA
JeffreyReel@aol.com
[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 ]