The agricultural landscape in the developing world consists of diverse crops and various types of farming systems that differ depending on locality, geography, and availability of natural resources. The interconnectivity of those challenges formed the core of the workshop discussions. In fact, as the workshop progressed, participants identified several key challenges that seemed to require simultaneous attention if biotechnology were to be successfully introduced. The difficult question of which investments to address first could not be answered easily by the workshop participants.
In addition, unless developing countries can solve some of their difficult social, economic, and infrastructure problems, they may never realize the benefits of agricultural biotechnologies that could help to improve productivity and align farmers with modern agricultural practices. Proponents of genetic improvements in crops do not always appear attuned to the perspectives of poor farmers and have not thoroughly assessed their needs, so they are limited in their ability to forecast how farmers would benefit. The movement of biotechnological innovations into farming systems of the developing world faces several challenges, including simply knowing what crop characteristics farmers need. If a common theme emerged from the workshop, it was that biotechnology constitutes only one part of a complex and nuanced set of investments needed to enhance crop productivity, increase yields, and ultimately ensure food security.
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