The 1990–2000 decade has seen extraordinary advances in all areas of biotechnology, and international agriculture has benefited from this new and exciting ‘promethean’ science. This term conveys the ‘daringly original and creative’ science that is necessary to deal with the problems of poverty, hunger and environmental degradation facing much of the world today.
A 1990 CAB International publication (Beyond Mendel’s Garden: Biotechnology in the Service of World Agriculture) and a 2000 publication on Promethean Science: Agricultural Biotechnology, the Environment and the Poor summarize the scientific and policy developments in agricultural biotechnology over the past decade. These and other publications by CAB International and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research looked at the future role of biotechnology in agriculture. They helped set the agenda for a decade of exciting research, particularly in developing countries and by the international agricultural research centres. They also foreshadowed the biotechnology debate that continues today on biosafety issues, effects on biodiversity and the environment and intellectual property rights. Despite the ongoing controversies about genetically improved foods, we can look back on the 1990s as a decade of great scientific achievements and practical applications of science.
This publication, through its overview chapter and selected country studies, contains useful information on the evolving biotechnological research in the main geographical regions. The emphasis is on the potential these new technologies hold for agriculture in developing countries. The reports vary in the depth of coverage, but all combine to show the urgent need that exists for public and private sector investment to ensure that all countries share in the benefits of modern biotechnologies, while minimizing any unintended effects.
A 1990 CAB International publication (Beyond Mendel’s Garden: Biotechnology in the Service of World Agriculture) and a 2000 publication on Promethean Science: Agricultural Biotechnology, the Environment and the Poor summarize the scientific and policy developments in agricultural biotechnology over the past decade. These and other publications by CAB International and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research looked at the future role of biotechnology in agriculture. They helped set the agenda for a decade of exciting research, particularly in developing countries and by the international agricultural research centres. They also foreshadowed the biotechnology debate that continues today on biosafety issues, effects on biodiversity and the environment and intellectual property rights. Despite the ongoing controversies about genetically improved foods, we can look back on the 1990s as a decade of great scientific achievements and practical applications of science.
This publication, through its overview chapter and selected country studies, contains useful information on the evolving biotechnological research in the main geographical regions. The emphasis is on the potential these new technologies hold for agriculture in developing countries. The reports vary in the depth of coverage, but all combine to show the urgent need that exists for public and private sector investment to ensure that all countries share in the benefits of modern biotechnologies, while minimizing any unintended effects.
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