January 26, 2001

IFPRI applauds Syngenta's Policy to Share Genetic Discoveries with Poor Farmers

Discoveries in rice genetics could benefit farmers and consumers in developing countries

Syngenta International's announcement today that it has completed mapping the rice genome could be good news for poor people in developing countries. Rice is a particularly important food source for Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In fact, rice provides half of the world's people with 80 percent of their diets.

More research is needed to focus the benefits of biotechnology on poor farmers and consumers in developing countries. Genetic research can assist the development of crops that need fewer expensive inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers. This research could also boost productivity, which would increase farmers' incomes and make food more affordable for poor people. Research to enhance the nutritional content of staple foods is especially important for developing countries, where more than half of the population suffers from deficiencies in micronutrients, such as vitamin A and iron.

It will take many years of scientific study before these advances reach the fields of small-scale farmers. The sooner these efforts are underway, the better.

We hope Syngenta stands by its stated policy to provide access to "information and technology for use in products for subsistence farmers without royalties or technology fees." If Syngenta fulfills that policy, poor farmers may reap substantial benefits.

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