Author : Lim Li Lin

Summary : Although many biotechnology applications have a positive role to play in the context of sustainable agriculture and development, the author disagreed on the use of modern technology or genetic engineering based on issues of biosafety, bioethics, cultural appropriateness, preservation of local and indigenous systems and effects on the livelihood of millions of small farmers. The importance of making the right production and consumption choices by developing countries was emphasized. Expansion of organic and other forms of ecological farming was noted not only in developing countries but in the North also with western holistic scientific knowledge complementing traditional knowledge and improving existing practices. Agricultural policy and research must be farmer-driven and must recognize and understand the critical role of farmers' knowledge and traditional production models, their integration in the ecosystem and the role they play in maintaining local resources. Further, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was discussed as it relates to developing countries.