Author : Cruz de la, Reynaldo E.

Summary : In conclusion, agriculture will always be in the forefront of national development in the next century. With the rapid increase in population, conversion of agricultural lands into industrial zones, urbanization and the realities of GATT/WTO, agriculture will continue to be major force to deal with. The country needs to increase agricultural productivity in a decreasing area of land. Conventional Green Revolution methods such as breeding will not be sufficient to meet the food requirements for future generation. Industry dependent on agriculture for their raw materials will not succeed unless agriculture can deliver the materials. Biotechnology is one of the strategies, which can help the country achieve its goal, of food security, poverty alleviation and industrialization. Biotechnology may not be the only solution, but it can be a powerful tool if used together with existing technologies such as conventional breeding and integrated pest management. The country is now in a better position to harness technology. Budget for agricultural biotechnology is no longer a constraint. We have the nucleus of manpower, the infrastructure, and the facilities/equipment. With further support, we can be active participants in agricultural, livestock, food, industrial, environmental, health, marine biotechnology in Asia. However, we have to overcome the four constraints identified: (a) Biosafety guidelines for field releases in place, (b) Regulations of biotechnology products in place, (c) Active participation of the private sector in R&D and commercialization, and, (d) Vigorous promotion of the potentials of biotechnology to offset anti-biotechnology claims.