Biotechnology and development - an overview
A decade ago there was much hope and hype about the potential of genetically modified (GM) crops to feed the world and solve many poverty and development issues. One side argued that technologies for dealing with drought and pests amounted to a new ‘gene revolution’ to pull small-scale farmers out of poverty. Others predicted GM crops would result in environmental and health catastrophes and the global domination of agriculture by a handful of corporations.
What has emerged over the past decade is a far more complex story. Some farmers have benefited from GM crop technologies while others have had bad experiences or been by-passed altogether. Despite the accumulated experience and evidence, wild claims are still made, false expectations generated, and new efforts are afoot to make the case for a GM solution in the vast potential developing world market. Meanwhile the ‘pro-’ versus ‘anti-’ GM debates have become stuck in an unhelpful impasse.
Have GM crops had a positive impact on development? The assumption that nothing else matters beyond the technical fix is flawed: technologies are always linked to social, economic and political contexts. So what are the real lessons to be learned from the past decade? What are the realistic prospects of a pro-poor gene revolution? This key issues guide reviews these issues, organised into four sections, and recommends further reading.
What has emerged over the past decade is a far more complex story. Some farmers have benefited from GM crop technologies while others have had bad experiences or been by-passed altogether. Despite the accumulated experience and evidence, wild claims are still made, false expectations generated, and new efforts are afoot to make the case for a GM solution in the vast potential developing world market. Meanwhile the ‘pro-’ versus ‘anti-’ GM debates have become stuck in an unhelpful impasse.
Have GM crops had a positive impact on development? The assumption that nothing else matters beyond the technical fix is flawed: technologies are always linked to social, economic and political contexts. So what are the real lessons to be learned from the past decade? What are the realistic prospects of a pro-poor gene revolution? This key issues guide reviews these issues, organised into four sections, and recommends further reading.
- Undying Promise: Agricultural Biotechnology’s Pro-poor Narrative, Ten Years on
- This working paper shows that the GM story is complex. The author argues the assumption that GM is the answer as a pro-poor technology. He asserts that this has led to simplifying the complex agronomic and livelihood contexts into which GM crops have been inserted. The paper highlights that what is most critical is the institutional and policy environment that provides support, credit and sustained backing, without which new technologies very often fail.
Poverty reduction and food security: impacts of GM crops
Research in this section asks: what have been the impacts of GM crops on poverty and food security? The emphasis across this work is on the social and economic differentiation of impacts on diverse rural livelihoods. More . . .
Regulating GM crops
Effective regulation is an essential component of any innovation process. This is particularly the case for GM crops, where potential risks remain unknown. Impacts arise through the interaction of particular technologies in particular environments. Therefore a case-by-case approach to regulatory control is essential. More . . .
The role of the private sector and corporate control
A number of studies of biotechnology business in action have been undertaken, including detailed analyses of the role of the corporate sector – and particularly Monsanto – in India. Case studies from China look at the cross-over between state and private sectors, while the Latin American cases, particularly from Argentina, examine the changing nature of corporate agriculture. More . . .
Public participation and the politics of policy
Governing technologies in favour of pro-poor outcomes is a major challenge. Research in this area shows that, while there is much rhetoric about pro-poor biotechnology, the evidence on the ground is questionable. Getting the public – farmers, consumers, traders and others – involved in debates about biotechnology, its design, use and regulation, is vital. More . . .
Latest Additions
- GM crops: is it a pro-poor technology?
- ( D. Glover (ed) / STEPS Centre, Institute of Development Studies , 2009)
- Many people and organisations have sought to promote genetically modified (GM) crops as a ‘pro-poor’ technology; however, developing-country farmers’ experiences with GM crops have b...
- Is Africa ready for genetically modified organisms?
- ( A. Mittal (ed);M. Moore (ed) / The Oakland Institute , 2007)
- Chronic hunger affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide but it is deeply entrenched in Africa. This crisis has raised major questions about industrial agriculture and how best to address the n...
- Genetically-modified crops: potential benefits and risks
- ( N. Makoni;J. Mohamed-Katerere;M. Chenje / United Nations [UN] Environment Programme , 2009)
-
This paper explores the debates around Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and food security and the challenge for policymakers on how to respond to the uncertainty about the relative opportunitie...
Results 1 to 3 of 285
