Kuliah Umum Orachos Napasintuwong Artachinda, Ph.D (Kasetsart University Thailand)

The Economics of Agricultural
Biotechnology in Developing
Countries
Orachos Napasintuwong Artachinda

Presentation at Institut Pertanian Bogor, Indonesia. January 31, 2011

Agricultural Development
Challenges
Increasing food/energy demand
Decreasing land/resource depletion
Ag labor scarcity
Emerging production problems e.g. biotec/abiotic
stress

Food security
Energy security
Income security
International competitiveness

Agricultural Production

Problems
Increase productivity
Reducing cost/resource use
Improve product quality

What is Biotechnology?
Any technique that uses whole or part
of a living thing to make new products,
improve or develop plants, animals and
other organisms for specific use.
Modern Biotechnology: the use of Genetic
Engineering technique that transfers gene(s)
of interest to develop and improve plants,
animals and other organisms

GE of
animals

GE to develop
animal vaccines


GE of biocontrol
agents against plant
pest & diseases
Plant protoplast
fusion

GE of plants

GE to improve
microorganisms

Recombinant DNA
for disease
diagnostics
Monoclonal anti
body production
Plant tissue culture

Embryo transfer

Fermentation, Biofertilizers

Source: http://isaaa.org/

Genetic Engineering
Technique

Source: http://www.farmacule.com/molecular_farming/

Wild Relative

Crop Plant

Conventional Breeding

Source: http://isaaa.org/

Wild Relative

Crop Plant


Genetic Engineering

Example: Bt-crops
Bt-Bacillus thuringiensis is a soil
bacterium that produces Cry proteins
effectively control insects.

Source: www.meta-helix.com

Example: Bt-technology

Source: http://www.scq.ubc.ca/bt-corn-is-it-worth-the-risk/

Bt-cotton

Source: www.agbioforum.org; http://envfor.nic.in/news/aprjun02/aftcbci.html

Bt-maize


Source: http://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=796

GM Herbicide-tolerant
Roundup: herbicide glyphosate
Roundup Ready (RR): Roundup-tolerant

RR soybeans

Source: http://agronomyday.cropsci.illinois.edu/

GM Rice: disease- resistant

Bacterial leaf blight resistant rice vs conventional rice

Source: www.agbioforum.org

GM Rice: golden rice
Golden rice is transgenic variety
containing Beta-carotene to help reduce
childhood blindness linked to vitamin A

deficiency

Source: http://biotektanaman.wordpress.com

Global Area of GM Crops, 1996 to 2007:
(Million Hectares)
140
120

Total
Industrial

100

Developing

80
60
40
20

0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Source: Clive James, 2008

Global Area of GM Crops, 1996 to 2007:
By Crop (Million Hectares)
70
60
50
40

Soybean
Maize
Cotton
Canola

30
20
10

0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Source: Clive James, 2008

Global Area of GM Crops, 1996 to 2007:
By Trait (Million Hectares)
80
70
60

Herbicide Tolerance
Insect Resistance
Herbicide Tolerance/Insect Resistance

50
40
30
20
10


0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Source: Clive James, 2008

Global Adoption Rates (%) for Principal
GM Crops (Million Hectares) 2007
M Acres
396

160

346

140

297

120


247

100

198

80

148

60

99

40

49

20


0

0

148
Conventional
Biotech

91

35
27

64%

43%

24%

20%

Soybean

Cotton

Maize

Canola

Source: Clive James, 2008

Economic Issues in
Ag Biotec
Production
Economic benefits/costs
Environmental impacts
Seed market monopolization

Consumer acceptance
Perceived risks
Ethics/values

Trade/international regulations

Improved Productivity

Cost Reduction

Increasing Supply

Changes in Consumer
Perception
Perceived risks
Perceived benefits

Changes in Demand

Trade Impact:
small importing country

Trade Impact:
large exporting country

International Regulations
Codex Alimentarius
WTO regulations based on

substantial equivalence
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standard
Technical Barriers to Trade standards
Unless GM food can be scientifically
proven to be substantially equivalent to a
similar conventional product, an import ban
on the GM variety is regarded as being
compliant with WTO trade laws.

International Regulations
Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety
Convention on Biological Diversity agreed
in 2003
based on precautionary approach
take into account socio-economic

considerations arising from the impact of
LMOs on the conservation and sustainable
use of biological diversity, especially with
regard to the value of biological diversity to
indigenous and local communities
Non-parties: US, Australia, Argentina,
Canada

Implications for
Developing Countries
Small farmers & the poor could
benefit from yield improvement.
Economic assessment should taken
into account consumers acceptance
and market response.
Price suppression, technical trade
barriers, cost of segregation may
surpass the benefits.

Current Issues in
Developing Countries
Co-existence
Production and trade regulations
reconsideration
Applications in fuel crops

Interesting Websites
http://www.agbioforum.org
Journal of Agrobiotechnology
Management and Economics
http://www.bic.searca.org/
Southeast Asia Biotechnology
Information Center
http://isaaa.org/
International Service for the
Acquisition of Agri-biotec Applications

THANK YOU