The challenges of developing national policies and regulations for agricultural biotechnologies: Reflections from cumulative experience presentation by "Eduardo Trigo, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Buenos Aires, Argentina "

1. The challenges of developing national policies and
regulations for agricultural biotechnologies:
Reflections from cumulative experiences
Eduardo J. Trigo
Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva,
MINCYT, Argentina

2. A brief overview of what is out there in terms of
ag.biotech policies and regulations
• Wide variety of countries have set in place
strategies and policies to promote biotech., and
regulate ag. biotech. products
• Poor links to existing R&D systems. Dimensions
addressed tended to emphasize R&D
investments, biosafety regulatory systems, and IP
issues. In some cases also wider access & tech
delivery, promotion of PPPs, start-up support,
etc.

3. Key question is about effectiveness: Are biotech tools integral
part of the tool-kit of ag. R&D?. Are countries and farmers
benefiting from the potential of new tools?
 The fact is that biotech. tools and products are still not part of the “business as
usual” of agricultural research and technology systems.
 Capacities and investments in most national systems are weak in general. Existing
data for LAC (FAO/IDB, 2010) shows data total biotech related R&D for the region,
is only about 15-20% of the R&D budget of the leading firms,
 A GIPB (FAO) survey for 2008 shows that the use of modern biotech in plant
breeding is small, restricted to more “traditional” techniques and concentrated in
just a few countries. Situation has not changed since
 Situation in Africa not much different; and Asia somewhat better but mostly due to
relevance of China/India.
 Relatively few products – mostly GMOs – have reached the market and are highly
concentrated in a few (internationally traded/large markets) crops, traits and
countries.
 The field is largely dominated by a few multinational companies. National
participation (either public or private) is reduced at best, and limited to a small
number of the large developing countries and even there success stories are few

4. • Many different explanations can be offered
– What is happening with ag.biotech is no
different that what is happening to conventional
research (the problem is wider than biotech)
– Deficient links between general science & tech.
policies and ag. R&D policies
– Biotech = GMO and was negatively affected by the
biosafety discussion
• Whatever the reasons, the fact is that the benefit
arising from modern biotechnologies are just too
important to pass-up and there is the need to
revert past situations
• Need to recognize the new institutional
environment of R&D system and reflect it in
policies for the sector

5. Conventional agricultural
technology systems
Biotech based agricultural
technology systems
•Predominance of public good /
public institutions as main actors
•Agronomic and applied science
•Weak links to Sc&T
•Relatively low investment
requirements
•“Weak” intellectual property
systems
•Low regulatory intensity
•Trade and technology not closely
related issues
•Technological applications closely
linked to basic research, and
convergence with other sciences
•Greater participations and
leadership from the private sector;
“technology delivery systems”
• High investment requirements
•“Strong” intellectual property
protection systems
•High regulatory intensity
Biosafety & Consumer protection
•Technology and trade potentially
(increasingly?) related

6. Looking into the future, policy design
should consider
• Access to knowledge and technology
– Integration to broader Sc&T system (HR, horizontal cooperation
mechanism)
– Investment issues, focalization, private direct investments, PPPs ….
– IP Protection mechanisms
– International cooperation
• Utilization
– Biosafety mechanisms
– Technology delivery systems (seeds, tech services firms)
– Public communication & consumer protection mechanisms

7. Thank you for your attention!!