Bridging the gap? Public–private partnerships and genetically modified crop development for smallholder farmers in Africa

Plants People Planet, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 6(2), P. 437 - 451

Published: Nov. 1, 2023

Societal Impact Statement Genetically modified (GM) crops have the potential to address multiple challenges for African smallholder farmers but are limited by several institutional constraints. Public–private partnerships (PPPs) seen as an organizational fix one such constraint, bringing privately held intellectual property rights on key crop technologies public institutions develop GM farmers. Here, a new comprehensive dataset of in Africa is used understand extent and efficacy PPP‐led development discuss what might limit their future. Summary promoted tool Africa, including impacts climate change food insecurity. Observers noted, however, significant achieving goals, most notably, (IPR) traits being private companies who incentives those To bridge gap between IPR pro‐poor breeding, advocates called increased funding innovations public–private facilitate transfer from research institutes. For past two decades, donors firms invested considerable resources toward PPPs. However, date, few efforts empirically examined effectiveness PPPs at continental scale. This study draws examine whether anticipated advantages resulted improved ability deliver We find that although PPP has focused more relevant farmers, many these been suspended, with only thus far reaching hands can some issues related still appear constrained other challenges, which may development, reach, achievement targeted benefits

Language: Английский

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Innovation in times of crisis: a pragmatic and inclusive approach to cope with urgent global sustainability challenges

Frontiers in Environmental Economics, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 4

Published: March 26, 2025

The term “polycrisis” has become a buzzword to describe the entanglement and reinforcement of multiple global crises that may put survival humankind at risk. It builds upon Sustainability Science its research on complex interactions systemic risks. approach roots in “Limits Growth” report published by Club Rome 1972. publication predicted sustainability crisis response growing human resource consumption. threat is real, but there are lessons be learned from coping with past how they were addressed far-sighted government initiatives incentivized decentralized innovation systems achieve well-defined objectives. These proved effective because based an adequate understanding endogenous nature economic development biocapacity societal resilience can enhanced through higher levels complexity. Contemporary European mission-oriented policies (MOIPs) their strong faith state as pacesetter economy lack this understanding. In paper, more pragmatic policy proposed accelerate progress UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) general, food security particular. combines target orientation US missions commitment international crop networks mobilize entrepreneurship for inclusive development. Throughout history, such opportunity-driven approaches public responses than attempts minimize risks limiting growth.

Language: Английский

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Meeting dietary health objectives through farming: A feminist review of biofortification and potential for genome editing in sub-Saharan Africa

Elementa Science of the Anthropocene, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 13(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Agri-food system responses to malnutrition aim reach population-level impact with strategies such as biofortification. By increasing the nutrient content in crops through transgenics or conventional breeding, supporters of biofortification describe technology a cost-effective, scalable, and marketable strategy for addressing nutrition-related health challenges. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), governments Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, supported by private foundations bilateral development agencies, are taking lead researching potential genome-editing technologies that could develop distribute biofortified more efficiently than other breeding techniques. While production nutrient-rich food is widely considered be an effective malnutrition, gendered aspects how integrated into daily farming practices tends overlooked. This article argues broader framing dietary beyond uptake feminist agroecology opens opportunities consider socio-economic environmental drivers nutritional reviews recent research on implications SSA explore both limitations crop investments possibilities challenges deficiencies region. It examines various framings agri-food shape design, financing, implementation global malnutrition. Specific cultivation processes trait selection, labor divisions at farm level, commercialization examined case studies. Three reviewed—Quality Protein Maize Ethiopia, banana Uganda, orange sweet potato Tanzania—with eye considering impacts local systems. doing so, aims apply lessons learned from current CRISPR-Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats-associated protein).

Language: Английский

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GM Crops and the Jevons Paradox: Induced Innovation, Systemic Effects and Net Pesticide Increases From Pesticide‐Decreasing Crops

Journal of Agrarian Change, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 14, 2025

ABSTRACT The Jevons paradox describes how increased efficiency in the use of a resource can paradoxically increase rather than reduce its overall consumption. In agricultural systems, is confounded by broad range economic, ecological, social and evolutionary factors. Agriculture particularly elastic kind production: Efficiencies one input lead to an consumption other inputs as well changes system outputs. Furthermore, policy, market forces farmer decisions shape cultural notion across landscape. This paper expands consider not just efficiencies induce greater parts agrarian systems but also that entrenches capitalist monoculture. Genetically modified (GM) crops are technology with theoretical potential make agriculture more efficient function yield per (e.g., water, fuel, fertilizer pesticide) or unit land. Like technological efficiencies, however, GM over past 30 years has contributed reductions nor land reclamations, expansion very pesticides these technologies purported curtail. Here, we present global analysis Herbicide Tolerant empirical case study from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton India. lowering costs for pesticide applications at farm level, only those help sustain this larger chemical‐intensive

Language: Английский

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Socio-economic assessment and genetically engineered crops in Africa: Building knowledge for development?

Global Food Security, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 42, P. 100782 - 100782

Published: June 29, 2024

How could we know if agricultural development interventions make contributions to sustainable goals (SDGs)? Genetically engineered (GE) crops are celebrated as a class of technological that can realize multiple SDGs. But recent studies have revealed the gap between GE crop program and approaches used assess their impacts. Using four comprehensive reviews socio-economic impacts, identify common shortcomings across three themes: (a) scope, (b) (c) heterogeneity. We find evaluation sciences literature offers alternative assessment enable evaluators better inform learning decision-making. recommend use methods evaluations look beyond agronomic productive effects individual traits understand wider effects.

Language: Английский

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Alternatives to chemical pesticides: the role of microbial biocontrol agents in phytopathogen management: a comprehensive review

Journal of Plant Pathology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Dec. 3, 2024

Language: Английский

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Cotton Monocultures and Reorganizing Socioecological Life in Telangana, India

Journal of Ethnobiology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 44(1), P. 34 - 45

Published: Dec. 19, 2023

Five hundred years of desire for cotton has reshaped landscapes, built global economic commodity chains, and devalued human life in the name producing cheap clothing. Since 2001, monocultures South India have also reorganized genetic codes, continuing centuries work to maintain socioecological possibility extractive agricultural production. This paper combines ethnographic ethnobiological research Telangana, India, center cotton's role organizing an agrarian world including farmers, farmworkers, plants, soils, buyers, weeds, animals. Mutually exclusive systems genetically modified Bt organic production offer a range possible organizations labor, aspiration, reciprocity, labor. While historically situated plantation inequalities, can make unexpected room relationships outside monoculture.

Language: Английский

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The future is only the beginning

Elementa Science of the Anthropocene, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 12(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2024

Recent advancements in genome editing have captured the attention of scientists and policymakers, who contend that technology has a large role to play advancing food climate security on African continent. However, modest results earlier generations biotechnology—such as genetically modified (GM) crops—raise questions about sustainability new technological interventions. This special feature examines lessons learned from previous GM crops other agricultural technologies, using them analyze portfolio gene edited being developed for farmers today. In this article, we introduce 6 papers make up by way examining future-oriented discourses around advancement editing. Drawing Science Technology Studies, political ecology, critical development studies, introduction highlights crucial factors shape development, practice, politics knowing emphasizes need look toward multiple, diverse futures.

Language: Английский

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Gouvernance institutionnelle des plantes génétiquement éditées : le cas du riz à Madagascar

Science Technologie Développement, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 3(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2023

Les nouvelles techniques d'amélioration des plantes sont au centre d'une nouvelle gouvernance de l'innovation variétale qui renouvelle les débats sur promesses technologiques apportées par variétés OGM.Assimilables à ces dernières, elles suscitent controverses en termes risques écologiques, agronomiques et socio-économiques.A partir d'un cas expérimental d'usage d'édition du génome pour développer riz Madagascar, nous avons étudié comment interactions entre différentes parties prenantes sociétales renouvellent la issue biotechnologies.Les résultats conduisent proposer reconfigurer l'expérimentation initiale le renforcement compétences détecter modifications génétiques dans prendre compte sociétaux.Ils mettent relief l'insuffisance cadres institutionnels d'évaluation biosécurité contexte pays sud.Ils renseignent solidifier l'implication située prenantes.Ils suggèrent approches plus coopératives définir modèles objectifs innovations variétales.ABSTRACT.New breeding (NBT) are today at the of a new governance varietal innovation that is reigniting debates around technological promises GMO varieties.Similar to GMOs, they controversial due their ecological, agronomic and socio-economic risks.By examining an experimental case study on genome editing used develop rice varieties in we explore how between different societal stakeholders renew biotechnology-based innovation.The results suggest initial experimentation should be reconfigured by strengthening skills detect genetic varieties, as well considering risks.They highlight inadequacy institutional frameworks for biosafety risk assessment low-income countries.The also inform us strengthen these through targeted stakeholder involvement.They more cooperative approaches will aid defining models objectives innovations.

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