Opportunities for Orphan Crops: Expected Economic Benefits From Biotechnology
An enabling, evidence-based decision-making framework is critical to support agricultural biotechnology innovation, and to ensure farmers’ access to genetically modified (GM) crops, including orphan crop varieties. A key element, and often a challenge in the decision-making process, involves the bal...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.825930/full |
| _version_ | 1818533354535911424 |
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| author | Patricia Zambrano Ulrike Wood-Sichra Remidius D. Ruhinduka Dayo Phillip Alejandro Nin Pratt John Komen Enoch Mutebi Kikulwe José Falck Zepeda Fred M. Dzanku Judith A. Chambers |
| author_facet | Patricia Zambrano Ulrike Wood-Sichra Remidius D. Ruhinduka Dayo Phillip Alejandro Nin Pratt John Komen Enoch Mutebi Kikulwe José Falck Zepeda Fred M. Dzanku Judith A. Chambers |
| author_sort | Patricia Zambrano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An enabling, evidence-based decision-making framework is critical to support agricultural biotechnology innovation, and to ensure farmers’ access to genetically modified (GM) crops, including orphan crop varieties. A key element, and often a challenge in the decision-making process, involves the balancing of identified potential risks with expected economic benefits from GM crops. The latter is particularly challenging in the case of orphan crops, for which solid economic data is scarce. To address this challenge, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in collaboration with local economists analyzed the expected economic benefits to farmers and consumers from the adoption of GM crops in 5 sub-Saharan African countries. This paper focuses on case studies involving insect-resistant cowpea in Nigeria and Ghana; disease-resistant cassava in Uganda and Tanzania; and disease-resistant banana in Uganda. Estimations from these case studies show substantial economic benefits to farmers and consumers from the timely adoption and planting in farmers’ fields of GM orphan crops. Our analysis also shows how the benefits would significantly be reduced by regulatory or other delays that affect the timely release of these crops. These findings underscore the importance of having an enabling policy environment and regulatory system—covering, among other elements, biosafety and food/feed safety assessment, and varietal release registration—that is efficient, predictable, and transparent to ensure that the projected economic benefits are delivered and realized in a timely manner. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T17:57:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e613c078a8c342098f5bc32725773450 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T17:57:35Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-e613c078a8c342098f5bc327257734502022-12-22T00:56:01ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2022-06-011310.3389/fpls.2022.825930825930Opportunities for Orphan Crops: Expected Economic Benefits From BiotechnologyPatricia Zambrano0Ulrike Wood-Sichra1Remidius D. Ruhinduka2Dayo Phillip3Alejandro Nin Pratt4John Komen5Enoch Mutebi Kikulwe6José Falck Zepeda7Fred M. Dzanku8Judith A. Chambers9International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United StatesIndependent Researcher, Krems, AustriaSchool of Economics, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaCentre for Agriculture and Rural Development Studies, Federal University of Lafia, LafiaNigeriaInternational Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United StatesKomen Bioscience Consultancy, Haarlem, NetherlandsAlliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Kampala, UgandaInternational Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United StatesInstitute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaInternational Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United StatesAn enabling, evidence-based decision-making framework is critical to support agricultural biotechnology innovation, and to ensure farmers’ access to genetically modified (GM) crops, including orphan crop varieties. A key element, and often a challenge in the decision-making process, involves the balancing of identified potential risks with expected economic benefits from GM crops. The latter is particularly challenging in the case of orphan crops, for which solid economic data is scarce. To address this challenge, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in collaboration with local economists analyzed the expected economic benefits to farmers and consumers from the adoption of GM crops in 5 sub-Saharan African countries. This paper focuses on case studies involving insect-resistant cowpea in Nigeria and Ghana; disease-resistant cassava in Uganda and Tanzania; and disease-resistant banana in Uganda. Estimations from these case studies show substantial economic benefits to farmers and consumers from the timely adoption and planting in farmers’ fields of GM orphan crops. Our analysis also shows how the benefits would significantly be reduced by regulatory or other delays that affect the timely release of these crops. These findings underscore the importance of having an enabling policy environment and regulatory system—covering, among other elements, biosafety and food/feed safety assessment, and varietal release registration—that is efficient, predictable, and transparent to ensure that the projected economic benefits are delivered and realized in a timely manner.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.825930/fullGMO cropsimpact assessmenteconomic surplus modelDREAMpysub-Sahara Africaregulatory policy |
| spellingShingle | Patricia Zambrano Ulrike Wood-Sichra Remidius D. Ruhinduka Dayo Phillip Alejandro Nin Pratt John Komen Enoch Mutebi Kikulwe José Falck Zepeda Fred M. Dzanku Judith A. Chambers Opportunities for Orphan Crops: Expected Economic Benefits From Biotechnology Frontiers in Plant Science GMO crops impact assessment economic surplus model DREAMpy sub-Sahara Africa regulatory policy |
| title | Opportunities for Orphan Crops: Expected Economic Benefits From Biotechnology |
| title_full | Opportunities for Orphan Crops: Expected Economic Benefits From Biotechnology |
| title_fullStr | Opportunities for Orphan Crops: Expected Economic Benefits From Biotechnology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Opportunities for Orphan Crops: Expected Economic Benefits From Biotechnology |
| title_short | Opportunities for Orphan Crops: Expected Economic Benefits From Biotechnology |
| title_sort | opportunities for orphan crops expected economic benefits from biotechnology |
| topic | GMO crops impact assessment economic surplus model DREAMpy sub-Sahara Africa regulatory policy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.825930/full |
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