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Feeding People,
Generating Income, Protecting the Environment: The Role
of Agricultural Technologies
C. S. PRAKASH. Tuskegee University, Center for Plant Biotechnology
Research, Tuskegee, AL 36088, USA.
prakash@tusk.edu;
www.agbioworld.org
Investment in agricultural research and development in the
past few decades has helped to improve the lives of most Indians
through enhanced and affordable food supply, boosted incomes
for millions of our farmers, and reduced the incidence of
famine and starvation despite massive population increases
in the past few decades. Nevertheless, food insecurity and
malnutrition still persists in India. The causes for poverty
and hunger are varied and complex, but experts concur that
sustainable agricultural development will be critical in meeting
future food needs, reducing poverty and protecting the environment.
To further increase agricultural productivity equitably-in
an environmentally sustainable manner in the face of diminishing
land and water resources-is a highly challenging task ahead.
Knowledge-based approaches including transgenic crops and
genomics can provide powerful solutions enhance food security:
by improving local agricultural productivity, minimizing the
use of chemical inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers,
insulating crops against losses from diseases and pests, curtailing
post-harvest losses including food spoilage, improving food
quality and nutrition, increasing crop tolerance to stress
factors such as drought and problem soils, and through the
production of ‘value-added’ products.
Biotechnology can expedite the development of new varieties
and also enhance marginal crops like millets, pulses, oilseeds
and other important staples in India.
Unlike the green revolution, which entailed the use of high
capital inputs, biotechnology delivers the added value primarily
through the seed. Thus, it is conceptually a ‘scale neutral’
technology: small farmers can benefit from it as much as rich
farmers, if the improved plant material is accessible and
affordable. Judicious application of biotechnology can boost
rural incomes and thus improve the purchasing power of a marginalized
section of the developing societies.
The integration of biotechnology into agricultural research
in India is fraught with many hurdles that must be addressed
including financial, technical, political, environmental-activist,
intellectual-property, biosafety and trade-related issues.
Considering the constraints, it is important to focus the
application of biotechnology to a few strategically chosen
high-priority areas where the technology provides the most
gains. Public sector institutions such as ICAR and agricultural
universities have major responsibilities in facilitating the
integration of biotechnology into agricultural research on
staple crops while the private sector would cater to the needs
of highly commercialized seed sector.
To ensure that India can harness the benefit of emerging agricultural
technologies with minimal problems, concerted efforts must
be pursued to create an awareness of its potential benefits
and to address the concerns related to its use through dialog
among the various stakeholders: policy makers, scientists,
trade groups, food industry, consumer organizations, farmers
groups, media and NGOs.
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