Brussels, Belgium
5 March 2010
CropLife International applauds the positive discussions that took place at this week’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Agricultural Biotechnologies in Developing Countries (ABDC) conference which will help improve farmer access to agricultural biotechnologies in developing countries.
“Farmers in all countries should be able to choose agricultural tools that meet their specific needs — whether it’s improved seeds, new farming techniques, agricultural biotechnologies, or other inputs,” said Denise Dewar, Executive Director for Plant Biotechnology at CropLife International. Today, more than 13 million farmers in 16 developing countries are benefitting from biotech crops — from increased incomes, to higher crop yields, to improvements in their quality of life. “I am pleased to see that so many delegations to the FAO ABDC conference were interested in finding ways to adopt agricultural biotechnologies, as well as recognized the benefits the technology can make in meeting local farmer challenges and larger global priorities such as food security.”
CropLife International was a member of the Steering Committee for the FAO ABDC conference, which took place this week in Guadalajara, Mexico and engaged United Nations (UN) Member States, development organizations, research institutions, and stakeholder groups in an exploration of the role of agricultural biotechnologies to help meet the needs of a growing population. Discussions at the conference ranged from ways to improve investment in agricultural research, to technology transfer, to the critical role of Public Private Partnerships.
This week, adoption of biotech crops continued with the European Commission’s authorization for the cultivation of a biotech potato for industrial use, as well as import approval of three varieties of biotech maize for food and feed processing. The European authorizations come on the heels of approvals in China for the cultivation of two varieties of biotech rice and a biotech phytase maize, as well as a Brazilian approval of a biotech soybean developed through a Public-Private Partnership.
“These recent authorizations acknowledge the importance of science-based, transparent, and workable regulatory frameworks that can empower countries to adopt agricultural biotechnologies if they choose to do so,” continued Dewar. “Countries are increasingly realizing and exercising their sovereign right to make agricultural choices that meet their food security goals. The FAO ABDC conference has played an important role in providing countries with information which will allow them to make choices in determining how to invest in science, technology, and innovation if they choose to do so.”
Plenary and breakout sessions during the FAO ABDC conference highlighted the continued need for comprehensive policy development, investments in science, technology, innovation, and agricultural research; as well as the critical role that regulatory frameworks, intellectual property protection and communications play in enabling access to agricultural biotechnologies. Country delegations shared their experiences with biotech crops, as well as emphasized the need to include farmers in a needs-driven research and development cycle. Key conclusions from the conference highlighted the need for strong partnerships - including between countries, regions and public private and research partnerships. The conclusions further noted the lack of policies and regulatory mechanisms, as well as overly stringent regulations hinder development of and access to biotechnologies. Effective and enabling national biotechnology policies and science-based regulatory frameworks can facilitate the development and appropriate use of biotechnologies in developing countries.
“This week’s FAO ABDC conference has been an important step in building a positive dialogue about improving access to agricultural biotechnologies,” said Dewar. “However, it is just one step in a long continuum of events that must take place if we are to meet the needs of farmers — both large and small — and provide them with equal access to all the agricultural technologies and techniques in the toolbox.”
CropLife International and its members are committed to developing innovative plant biotechnology products that meet farmer needs, including continuing partnerships that provide farmers with broad access to innovations, as well as the knowledge and skills to make these new tools valuable on the farm.
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