World Journal of Microbiology & Biotechnology 10, 127-128
Guest Editorial
Biotechnologies in developing countries: present and future Albert Sasson
Through the 1980s and into the 1990s, progress in biotechnologies continued in the industrialized countries, although with a more accurate and realistic vision of their economic and social implications, in particular with respect to their ability to turn the promises into instant cash. In developing countries the 1980s were indeed marked by the establishment of biotechnologies with varying degrees of priority and sophistication, illustrating not only the contrasting economic and scientific development conditions of these countries, but also the varying possibilities for applying biotechnologies at levels of investment and complexity appropriate to each specific situation. Developing countries include (i) those with an interest but no direct involvement in modern biotechnologies as yet; (ii) those with a national policy in biotechnologies and a research programme, mainly in conventional biotechnologies, and which were monitoring development overseas but with little modern, in-country biotechnologies as yet; (iii) those with a national policy and a research programme, mainly in conventional biotechnologies, and having established collaborative linkages in industrialized countries for the training of scientists and acquisition of new technologies; and (iv) those with a national policy and research programme in modern biotechnologies, complemented by strong overseas linkages in both the public and private sector. Although most developing countries belong to the first three categories, many are keen to proceed to the fourth category as quickly as possible. As biotechnology research and development (R & D) is closely related to each country's economic policy and situation, as well as to scientific R & D policy and achievements, it is not surprising to find advanced biotechnology R & D and a rather wide range of bio-industrial applications in the South-Eastern Asian countries, where the annual gross domestic product growth rate is the highest in the world. It is also true for Argentina, Albert Sasson is the Assistant Director-General in charge of the Bureau of Studies, Programming and Evaluation, UNESCO, 7 place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France.
Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico. Conversely, the ailing economy of most African sub-Saharan countries, together with the effects of recurrent drought on agricultural and food production, leave little chance for major progress in biotechnology R & D; nevertheless, when skilful management and willpower are combined, biotechnological ventures can be successful, e.g., in Chte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Kenya or Zimbabwe. There is no debate over whether developing countries need to move up the gradient of biotechnologies, from the low-cost and simple ones, like biological nitrogen fixation and plant tissue culture and micropropagation, to genetic engineering of plants and animals, through animal embryo transfer, monoclonal antibody synthesis, vaccine development and biocontrol agent production. The more richly endowed R & D systems are already well on the way. Even the smallest or poorest countries need to think about developing and using modern biotechnologies. For instance, a country where most crop species are a staple food can profitably invest in a tissue culture laboratory; at a capital cost of about $20,000, this would permit the import, as tissue cultures, of virus- or disease-free clones developed in research stations abroad, and their rapid multiplication, if they prove adaptable to local conditions and acceptable to producers and consumers. The major concerns of Third World scientists and political leaders relating to biotechnology R & D are: --whether the 'biotechnology revolution' would help resource-poor farmers to increase productivity; - - t h e potential adverse impact of genetic engineering research directed at finding substitutes for national products, thereby harming the farming sector and its export-earning activity; --the possible use of developing countries as testing grounds for genetically modified organisms, so as to avoid the stringent regulations prevailing in the industrialized countries;
© 1994 Rapid Communications of Oxford Ltd World Journal of Microbiology & Biotechnology, VoI 10, 1994
12 7
Albert Sasson --the impact of the extension of intellectual property rights to individual genes and genotypes on the availability of such improved material to developing countries and resource-poor farmers; --the need for the market-driven features of biotechnology research to be balanced by the long-term well-being of humankind, whether rich or poor (research on staple food crop species in the developing countries needs to be supported internationally, and not to be left only to the endeavours of developing countries; the same is valid for diseases prevailing in the third world). UNESCO's book on Biotechnologies in developing countries. Volume 1: Regional and national survey, (764 pp.)* by A. Sasson, published in September 1993, in the series
*This book can be purchased from UNESCO's sale agents in the countries, as well as from the UNESCO Bookshop, 7 Place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France.
128
World Journal of Microbiology & Biotechnblogy, Vol 10, 1994
'Future-oriented Studies', presents an overview of the status of biotechnology R & D in the developing world. In addition to describing the situation in the early 1990s, it includes forecasts for the end of the decade. Besides a section devoted to the institutional framework, which includes a description of government measures to organize biotechnology R & D and bio-industrial development, the various areas of biotechnology applications are outlined for each country (e.g., agriculture, forestry, biofertilizers, livestock husbandry, aquaculture and fisheries, animal and human health, food and industrial fermentations). Collaboration between the public and private sectors in bio-industry is presented for a number of countries, as are current intellectual property regulations.
Guest Editorial
Biotechnologies in developing countries: present and future Albert Sasson
Through the 1980s and into the 1990s, progress in biotechnologies continued in the industrialized countries, although with a more accurate and realistic vision of their economic and social implications, in particular with respect to their ability to turn the promises into instant cash. In developing countries the 1980s were indeed marked by the establishment of biotechnologies with varying degrees of priority and sophistication, illustrating not only the contrasting economic and scientific development conditions of these countries, but also the varying possibilities for applying biotechnologies at levels of investment and complexity appropriate to each specific situation. Developing countries include (i) those with an interest but no direct involvement in modern biotechnologies as yet; (ii) those with a national policy in biotechnologies and a research programme, mainly in conventional biotechnologies, and which were monitoring development overseas but with little modern, in-country biotechnologies as yet; (iii) those with a national policy and a research programme, mainly in conventional biotechnologies, and having established collaborative linkages in industrialized countries for the training of scientists and acquisition of new technologies; and (iv) those with a national policy and research programme in modern biotechnologies, complemented by strong overseas linkages in both the public and private sector. Although most developing countries belong to the first three categories, many are keen to proceed to the fourth category as quickly as possible. As biotechnology research and development (R & D) is closely related to each country's economic policy and situation, as well as to scientific R & D policy and achievements, it is not surprising to find advanced biotechnology R & D and a rather wide range of bio-industrial applications in the South-Eastern Asian countries, where the annual gross domestic product growth rate is the highest in the world. It is also true for Argentina, Albert Sasson is the Assistant Director-General in charge of the Bureau of Studies, Programming and Evaluation, UNESCO, 7 place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France.
Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico. Conversely, the ailing economy of most African sub-Saharan countries, together with the effects of recurrent drought on agricultural and food production, leave little chance for major progress in biotechnology R & D; nevertheless, when skilful management and willpower are combined, biotechnological ventures can be successful, e.g., in Chte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Kenya or Zimbabwe. There is no debate over whether developing countries need to move up the gradient of biotechnologies, from the low-cost and simple ones, like biological nitrogen fixation and plant tissue culture and micropropagation, to genetic engineering of plants and animals, through animal embryo transfer, monoclonal antibody synthesis, vaccine development and biocontrol agent production. The more richly endowed R & D systems are already well on the way. Even the smallest or poorest countries need to think about developing and using modern biotechnologies. For instance, a country where most crop species are a staple food can profitably invest in a tissue culture laboratory; at a capital cost of about $20,000, this would permit the import, as tissue cultures, of virus- or disease-free clones developed in research stations abroad, and their rapid multiplication, if they prove adaptable to local conditions and acceptable to producers and consumers. The major concerns of Third World scientists and political leaders relating to biotechnology R & D are: --whether the 'biotechnology revolution' would help resource-poor farmers to increase productivity; - - t h e potential adverse impact of genetic engineering research directed at finding substitutes for national products, thereby harming the farming sector and its export-earning activity; --the possible use of developing countries as testing grounds for genetically modified organisms, so as to avoid the stringent regulations prevailing in the industrialized countries;
© 1994 Rapid Communications of Oxford Ltd World Journal of Microbiology & Biotechnology, VoI 10, 1994
12 7
Albert Sasson --the impact of the extension of intellectual property rights to individual genes and genotypes on the availability of such improved material to developing countries and resource-poor farmers; --the need for the market-driven features of biotechnology research to be balanced by the long-term well-being of humankind, whether rich or poor (research on staple food crop species in the developing countries needs to be supported internationally, and not to be left only to the endeavours of developing countries; the same is valid for diseases prevailing in the third world). UNESCO's book on Biotechnologies in developing countries. Volume 1: Regional and national survey, (764 pp.)* by A. Sasson, published in September 1993, in the series
*This book can be purchased from UNESCO's sale agents in the countries, as well as from the UNESCO Bookshop, 7 Place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France.
128
World Journal of Microbiology & Biotechnblogy, Vol 10, 1994
'Future-oriented Studies', presents an overview of the status of biotechnology R & D in the developing world. In addition to describing the situation in the early 1990s, it includes forecasts for the end of the decade. Besides a section devoted to the institutional framework, which includes a description of government measures to organize biotechnology R & D and bio-industrial development, the various areas of biotechnology applications are outlined for each country (e.g., agriculture, forestry, biofertilizers, livestock husbandry, aquaculture and fisheries, animal and human health, food and industrial fermentations). Collaboration between the public and private sectors in bio-industry is presented for a number of countries, as are current intellectual property regulations.
