Agricultural biotechnology and its role in Asia

摘要

Crop improvement facilitated by modern biotechnology has made major advances in recent years. Breakthroughs in genome mapping and gene transfer have allowed improvement of crops, which would be difficult or impossible to accomplish via conventionalbreeding. The first wave of genetically modified or GM crops included cultivars with important traits such as insect and/or herbicide tolerance (the so-called input traits). Today, many of these first generation crops are already demonstrating their value to farmers both in the developed and developing world. Other crops were subsequently modified to enhance nutritional content or extend shelf-life (output traits).e.g. Flavr-Savr tomato. Crops with improved oils (e.g. oleic, lauric, linolenic) are already approved and on the market. Rapid progress is now being made in introducing output as well as input traits to a wide range of important crop plants. Advances such as the identification of genes controlling photosynthesis, abiotic stress tolerance andnutrient utilization will, without doubt, bring major benefits in the coming 5-10 years. This paper reviews some of the recent literature on the benefits of agricultural biotechnology in key areas including economics, environment and health. Using examples from Asia, Africa and the Americas, it examines biotechnology from a farmer and consumer perspective, and considers some of the data on the sharing of benefits from biotechnology. The paper ends with a discussion of the role and contribution of agricultural biotechnology in developing countries in Asia, and a review of some biotechnology applications still in the research pipeline. The scale of the many challenges faced by developing countries in Asia- economic, social, and climatic- provides an imperative for such countries to (a) facilitate and support technology transfer and capacity building, and (b) ensure a regulatory environment that ensures such tools are used appropriately and equitably in the interests of national development. ISAAA considers it important that Asian countries take steps now to position themselves to access technological innovations from the developed world, and also to reinforce their own national public sector research capacities.