Agricultural Biotechnology in Developing Countries

Abstract

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in "The State of Food and Agriculture 2003-04 What is biotechnology?Biotechnology encompasses a range of research tools that enable scientists to understand and manipulate the genetic make-up of plants, animals and other living organisms. In agriculture, this includes genomics, marker-assisted selection, genetic engineering and many other tools that complement each other and conventional breeding approaches.Biotechnology allows researchers to characterize plants and animals at the genomic level, so the specific gene responsible for a desirable trait can be targeted in breeding and conservation programmes. Conventional breeding, in contrast, must rely on the physical appearance of a specimen, which is often an imperfect guide to its value in breeding. By integrating biotechnology into their agricultural research programmes, developing countries can speed up breeding programmes and tackle challenges that are not tractable with conventional methods. An example is the use of micropropagation techniques to generate disease-free planting materials for clonally propagated species like potato and banana that many subsistence farmers rely on.Biotechnology is also used in diagnosing plant and animal diseases before the host is badly damaged, while treatment is still possible. By distinguishing vaccinated animals from infected ones, biotechnology can facilitate vaccination programmes without disrupting trade. Biotechnology, including genetic engineering, has also been instrumental in developing vaccines that can prevent devastating outbreaks of livestock diseases like Rinderpest.