Appropriate biotechnology for sustainable agriculture in developing countries

Many transnational organizations are investing heavily in biotechnological research 1. They are primarily interested in activities such as the sale of chemicals and/or food processing. Consequently, research leading to an expansion in the use of chemicals or a reduction of commodity prices is advantageous to those companies. An increase in the sale of chemicals can, for instance, be expected as a result of research on herbicide resistance 2, a further reduction of commodity prices can be stimulated by biotechnological research directed at cost reduction or finding cheaper substitutes 3. Western governmental research institutes and universities contribute to these research directions by cooperating closely with these companies 4,5. In view of these developments, it can be expected that biotechnological research will contribute to a further decrease in commodity prices and further instability of the agricultural structure in many developing countries and, consequently, an acceleration of migration to the already overcrowded cities. The question is, can biotechnology also contribute to sustainable development in rural areas by assisting small-scale and semi-subsistence farmers? I suggest it can.