Agricultural Biotechnology as a Tool for International
Development
Central New York Biotechnology Symposium 2011
June 3, 2011
Frank Shotkoski
Cornell University
Global Challenges to Food Security
Population growth
• Increased demand for food
• Increased demand for water & land resources
Static or declining arable land
• Urbanization, industrialization, soil erosion, rising
sea levels, preservation
Climate change
• Rising temperatures
• Changing precipitation patterns
All crops have been genetically
modified during domestication
photo by Bruce Thomas, UC Davis
Prehistoric farmers selected the genetic
changes that domesticated certain wild plants.
Modern plant breeders have selected additional
genetic improvements to produce the crop
plants that we enjoy today.
teosinte / corn
wild tomato /
modern tomato
Bringing Technology to the Farmer
Multi-national crop protection companies
• Focus primarily on a few crop/trait combinations that
have high commercial value and occupy large
international markets
• Profit-driven, often creates controversy
Public institutions
• Limited resources, lack capacity and infrastructure,
poor success to advanced technology (IP)
Public/private partnerships
• Royalty free access to advanced technology
• Absorb regulatory and product development costs
Global Area of Biotech Crops, 1996 to 2010:
Industrial and Developing Countries
ISAAA
M Acres
395
160
346
140
Total
296
120
Industrial
247
100
198
80
148
60
99
40
49
20
0
0
Developing
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Source: Clive James, 2010
Global Area of Biotech Crops, 1996 to
2010: By Trait
ISAAA
M Acres
100
100
222
90
Herbicide Tolerance
198
80
Insect Resistance (Bt)
173
70
Herb Tolerance/Insect resistance
148
60
124
50
99
40
74
30
49
20
25
10
0
0
1996
1997
1998
Source: Clive James, 2010
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Crop Countries and Mega Countries, 2010
ISAAA
Agricutural Biotechnology Support
Project (ABSPII)
Publicly funded project designed to complement
national ad regional efforts to develop and
commercialize safe and effective bio-engineered
crops in
• Africa: Uganda
• South Asia: India, Bangladesh
• Southeast Asia: Philippines, Indonesia
Product Demand Driven Strategy
• Focus: to deliver the right genetically engineered
products to farmers
• Decisions based on solid socio-economic impact
assessments
• Deliver effective communication and outreach
• Provide concrete examples to develop capacity
– Licensing and policy issues (IP ownership, FTO, licensing,
regulatory policy, etc.)
– Biosafety policy and regulatory approval process
– Product development (efficacy, variety performance)
– Commercialization (seed distribution and stewardship)
Major Strategic Elements
• Build north-south and south-south public or
public/private partnerships
• Develop local marketing and distribution
platforms
• Promote and implement responsible
stewardship practices
• Economic development through ag biotech to
help alleviate poverty and hunger
ABSPII-Supported Projects
• Disease and nematode
resistant banana (Uganda)
• Bollgard II cotton & Roundup
Ready flex (Uganda)
• Fruit and shoot borer
resistant eggplant (India,
Bangladesh, Philippines)
• Late blight resistant potato
(India, Bangladesh,
Indonesia)
• Papaya ringspot resistant
papaya (Philippines)
Biotech & Sustainable Farming
Drought/salt tolerance
• Hardier crops use water more efficiently to recover
from stress and produce higher yields
• More able to withstand weather extremes
Pest control
• Reduced pesticide applications
• Lower or no-till crops mean less soil erosion
Increased crop quality and yields
• Biofortification (golden rice, oil quality)
• Efficient nitrogen use
www.absp2.cornell.edu
Frank A. Shotkoski
fas23@cornell.edu