‘Agricultural biotechnologies in developing countries’

This is the title for the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United States (FAO) international conference taking place in Guadalajara, Mexico during 01 -04 March.

“The focus of modern and conventional biotechnologies should be redirected so as to benefit poor farmers in poor countries and not only rich farmers in rich countries”, FAO said on Monday. Modibo Traore, FAO Assistant Director-General adds, "at present, there is a lack of appropriate and useful technologies, policies, technical capacities, and requisite infrastructure for their development, evaluation and deployment in most developing countries."

Hopefully, the conference will give a push to major players and so developing countries can find support. The international community can help by “fostering partnerships and providing a framework for international cooperation and funding for the generation, adaptation and adoption of appropriate biotechnologies”.

For more information about the conference here.