I write to comment on the draft report entitled "Agroecological approaches and other innovations for sustainable agriculture and food systems that enhance food security and nutrition." I tried to do this online today but my account was not approved in time.
First thank you for your hard work on this draft. I deeply appreciate all the thought and energy that went into it. There are many parts of the draft (especially the introductory chapter) that are excellent.
Second, I specifically wish to comment on the section entitled "Can genetically modified organisms be part of sustainable food systems" on pgs 76-79.
One concern is that GMO technology is sufficiently expensive that it is inaccessible to the poorest of the poor who are the most food insecure (and you note this on pg 77). However, you do not acknowledge that such solutions are often aimed at maximizing production under ideal conditions, as opposed to minimizing risk in highly variable meteorological environments. Such variability is historically dominant in the semi-arid tropics and now predicted more broadly under many climate change scenarios. As such, investing in GMO seed technology represents a significant financial risk for many small farmers in meteorologically variable environments, let alone the volatility of markets where farmers must sell all or part of their harvest if they are to cover their input costs.
I see the agroecological approach as distinct from the GMO one. The former is about ecologically informed, low cost innovations that are open to all, not lab-based (and often expensive) molecular innovations. As you know, by smartly capitalizing on interactions within agroecosystems, farmers are able to improve yields and manage pest problems through improved intercropping and agroforestry combinations, as well as more tightly integrated crop and livestock systems. While these practices have long existed within traditional farming systems in the tropics, there is enormous potential for scientists to collaborate with local people to make improvements to these techniques. As you also know, funding for work in this area has been woefully limited, probably because agroecological approaches are unlikely to generate the profits derived from the GM approach increasing production (and missing the hunger problem).
Thank you for considering these comments (and I apologize for submitting them very late in the comment period)
I see the agroecological approach as distinct from the GMO one. The former is about ecologically informed, low cost innovations that are open to all, not lab-based (and often expensive) molecular innovations. As you know, by smartly capitalizing on interactions within agroecosystems, farmers are able to improve yields and manage pest problems through improved intercropping and agroforestry combinations, as well as more tightly integrated crop and livestock systems. While these practices have long existed within traditional farming systems in the tropics, there is enormous potential for scientists to collaborate with local people to make improvements to these techniques. As you also know, funding for work in this area has been woefully limited, probably because agroecological approaches are unlikely to generate the profits derived from the GM approach increasing production (and missing the hunger problem).
Thank you for considering these comments (and I apologize for submitting them very late in the comment period)