Overcoming smallholder challenges with biotech

According to Charmaine Wilkerson, Media Relations Officer of the FAO in a statement, the new publication, Biotechnologies at Work for Smallholders: Case Studies from Developing Countries in Crops, Livestock and Fish, asserts that biotechnologies can help smallholders to improve their livelihoods and food security.Biotechnologies at Work for Smallholders, written by scientists and researchers worldwide, cover […]

According to Charmaine Wilkerson, Media Relations Officer of the FAO in a statement, the new publication, Biotechnologies at Work for Smallholders: Case Studies from Developing Countries in Crops, Livestock and Fish, asserts that biotechnologies can help smallholders to improve their livelihoods and food security.
Biotechnologies at Work for Smallholders, written by scientists and researchers worldwide, cover 19 case studies in crops, livestock and fisheries. It describes the practical realities and experiences of taking biotechnology research and applying it in smallholder production of bananas, cassava, rice, livestock, shrimp and more, in different parts of the developing world.
The case studies encompassed a wide range of biotechnologies. They included older or “traditional” ones like artificial insemination and fermentation, and cutting-edge techniques involving DNA-based methodologies – but not genetic modification.
The publication was prepared by a multi-disciplinary team at FAO as part of an agricultural biotechnologies project partially funded by the Government of Canada.
“With the right institutional and financial arrangements, governments, research institutions and organizations can help to bring biotechnologies to smallholders, improving their capacity to cope with challenges like climate change, plant and animal diseases, and the overuse of natural resources,” said Andrea Sonnino, Chief of FAO’s Research and Extension Unit.
Four case studies were from India, two from China and one each from  Nigeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Cuba, Ghana, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Thailand.
Researchers used their knowledge of DNA markers to develop a flood-tolerant rice variety in India with a potential yield of 1-3 tons per hectare more than previously used varieties, under flood conditions.
Submergence-tolerant varieties provided opportunities for improving and stabilizing yields in flash flood-affected areas, significantly contributing to national food security.
 Biotechnologies can improve crop – livestock- and fish-related livelihoods by boosting yields and enhancing market access. Introducing new and traditional biotechnologies on family farms can also keep production costs down and improve sustainable management of natural resources.
The publication offers lessons from the case studies which can be used to inform and assist policymakers in making decisions on programmes involving biotechnologies. High up on the list was the need for national political commitment to improving smallholder productivity and livelihoods; financial support from non-governmental sources to supplement national efforts; and long-term national investment in both people and infrastructure linked to science and technology.
Biotechnologies at work for smallholders also underlines the importance of involving smallholders in the process at all stages, taking into consideration their knowledge, skills and own initiatives.