Political will key to biotech success: FAO Report


Lazarus Sauti

Political will and farmer involvement are critical to direct research and innovation on biotechnologies that could cut poverty in rural areas of developing countries.

This is according to Andrea Sonnino, chief of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Research and Extension Unit.



Sonnino said, “Political will and farmer involvement are crucial to direct research and innovation on biotechnologies that could cut poverty in rural areas of remote areas of developing nations.”

In a report, ‘Biotechnologies at Work for Smallholders’, Sonnino, who is one of the report’s editors, added: “This publication provides evidence that, when there is the political commitment, when there is the willingness to apply direct research and extension to meeting the needs of smallholders and when there is full participation of the smallholders themselves, important results can be achieved.”

This means that involving farmers in innovation projects from the beginning helps to assure their success.

Because of this, Sonnino said: “By being involved, they (farmers) participate in the selection of the objectives and in the development of the research and innovation activities.

“This results in an innovation which is targeted towards the real needs of the smallholders, with an adoption process that is much more rapid because of the farmers’ ownership.”

Sonnino goes on to say, “When there is the political commitment, when there is the willingness to apply direct research and extension to meeting the needs of smallholders and when there is full participation of the smallholders themselves, important results can be achieved.”

 

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