It is now widely acknowledged that biotechnology will have significant implications for development. While biotechnology’s potential for low income economies is still the subject of controversy, this paper argues that it is precisely in these countries that food and agriculture related biotechnology could efficiently contribute to the achievement of development objectives. To date, however, biotechnological advances have been realized predominantly in industrialized countries. Policy-makers in developing countries and in development organizations are challenged to select appropriate strategies for optimally harnessing the potentials of biotechnology for the poor. Policy-oriented information on likely economic impacts of biotechnologies becomes the key parameter for guidance in program formulation, but little has been available thus far. Hitherto approaches of technology assessment proved rather inappropriate for providing such information for particular decisions. This paper presents a conceptual framework for ex ante economic studies in developing countries – a framework within which the efficiency and equity implications of specific technologies can be analysed quantitatively. Technological impacts also depend on institutional arrangements and on political support systems, dynamics that are explicitly taken into account by the proposed scenario approach. The findings of such analyses can thus provide assistance in decision-making at various phases of the technology path.
While several studies have shown that genetically modified Bt cotton can benefit smallholder farmers economically, the sustainability of these effects is still unclear and debated controversially between biotechnology proponents and critics. We use unique panel data of 533 cotton farmers,...
Esta herramienta permitirá a los actores de los movimientos de agricultura orgánica de los países diagnosticar el estado de sus sistemas nacionales de control de la producción orgánica (SNC) y elaborar, de manera participativay con el apoyo del IICA, planes...
This tool will enable stakeholders in the countries’ organic agriculture movements to assess the functioning of national control systems (NCSs) for organic production and, with the assistance of IICA, to collaborate on the development of action plans to strengthen institutions...
Supermarkets and high-value exports are currently gaining ground in the agri-food systems of many developing countries. While recent research has analyzed income effects in the small farm sector, impacts on farming efficiency have hardly been studied. Using a survey of...
In response to population growth, rising income and urbanisation, the demand for livestock products, such as milk, meat and eggs is growing in Ethiopia. The growing demand for milk products offers opportunities for smallholders to realize better livelihoods. Whereas the...