SECTION I

Addressing Management and Policy Issues

Deciding how to best make use of the rapid advances in biotechnology requires careful
judgment and experience. Agricultural research managers must weigh potential
productivity increases alongside uncertain factors such as environmental risks, potential
returns on investment, and alternative approaches to address food security. In addition,
policymakers and the general public increasingly call upon research managers to inform
them about the latest developments in biotechnology. This responsibility increases with the
growing debate on the safety and public acceptance of biotechnology used for food
production and consumption.
Managers responsible for agricultural biotechnology research find that they need
technical, managerial, and policy skills that go beyond the scope of scientific education. In
the first section of this book, the main issues facing these managers are presented from
three different perspectives. Chapter 1 (Identifying Needs and Priorities: A DecisionMaking Framework for Agricultural Biotechnology) analyzes identified needs and
findings from regional seminars on biotechnology that were organized by ISNAR.
Findings are presented in relation to a decision-making framework applied to
biotechnology involving four steps: identifying research priorities for which biotechnology
offers a comparative advantage, determining relevant national policies, formulating an
appropriate research agenda, and providing for delivery of products to end users. Seminar
findings and decision-making steps are also related to broader strategic thinking for
agricultural research, as undertaken by the International Food Policy Research Institute.
The policy seminars helped participants to
explore each countrys context for agricultural biotechnology
identify factors unique to formulating strategies and policies for agricultural
biotechnology
think systematically about decision making and implementing biotechnology
understand the high level of uncertainty faced by decision makers when making
policy on agricultural biotechnology.
Identifying, understanding, and addressing these needs is the starting point for the material
presented in this book, as well as for the ongoing ISNAR course Managing Biotechnology
in a Time of Transition.
Taking a different perspective, chapter 2 (The Debate on Genetically Modified
Organisms: Relevance for the South) focuses on the public debate and emerging
controversial issues of biotechnology, specifically regarding the introduction of genetically
modified organisms (GMOs). In the UK, for example, GMO foods are available on grocery
shelves, but their use is so politically sensitive that they are banned from the restaurants of
parliament. Research managers in developing countries should be prepared to respond to
concerns raised by policymakers and the public regarding the environmental safety and
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food safety of GMOs and the perceived trend towards corporate control and market
concentration in the life sciences.
The final chapter of this section (Agricultural Biotechnology Research Indicators
and Managerial Considerations in Four Developing Countries) analyzes key
considerations for national policymakers regarding the mobilization and use of human,
financial, and physical resources for agricultural biotechnology and the institutional setting
in which the agricultural biotechnology research system operates. Information on the size,
structure, and content of public research is needed to improve policy decisions, clarify the
roles of the public and private sectors, and support public-sector implementation of
biotechnology research. There is, however, a lack of structured data on resources available
for agricultural biotechnology in developing countries.
ISNAR initiated this study to collect and analyze baseline data. Initial findings
provide new information that strengthens the basis for making decisions on agricultural
biotechnology and lead to a set of policy recommendations. The information provides
valuable background material for other themes covered by this book, such as strategic
planning and priority setting. It facilitates greater understanding of the institutional
developments required for agricultural biotechnology in developing countries, and it
provides the means for comparison of information between selected countries.
The main recommendations from the chapters in this first section to policymakers,
donors, and managers of national agricultural research systems are the following:
Support future policy dialogues that identify needs and mechanisms for follow-up
regarding policy and managerial dimensions of biotechnology.
Raise awareness of the potential benefits and costs of using biotechnology to achieve
national goals.
Assure relevant stakeholder and end-user participation in policy dialogues for
identifying needs regarding biotechnology policy.
Develop mechanisms that help developing countries find funding for their own
research by addressing issues of sustainability and user orientation.
Institute policy analysis on socioeconomic aspects of biotechnology, necessary legal
reforms, and build regulatory capacity to deal with biotechnology and related
agricultural policies.
Conduct regular studies to analyze trends in public and private investments and
capacity development in biotechnology.
Initiate policies and programs to encourage partnerships with the private sector that
complement investments made in the public sector.