Agricultural Biotechnology is Beneficial to Smallholder Farmers

WICHITA, KANSAS, August 28, 2006 – In his latest entry, blogger James Wachai argues that smallholder farmers stand to gain immensely from agricultural biotechnology just like large-scale farmers.

Mr. Wachai quotes a study conducted by researchers from South Africa and the United States, which found that smallholder farmers in South Africa have benefited from genetically modified maize cultivation in the same way as large-scale farmers.

Researchers Marnus Gouse and Johann Kirsten, both of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, Carl Pray (Rutgers University, U.S.A.), and David Schimmelpfennig (United States Department of Agriculture Research Service), examined the production of Bt maize among smallholder farmers over three seasons.

They found that in two production seasons, smallholder farmers enjoyed higher yields with genetically modified maize than with conventional varieties.

This contrasts the assertion by opponents of genetically modified food that GM crops cultivation only benefits large-scale farmers.

“Opponents of agricultural biotechnology have vainly tried to ingrain in the minds of many that smallholder farmers have nothing to gain from GM crops cultivation,” Says Wachai.

To further reinforce this argument, Mr. Wachai refers to another recently released study by Mexican researchers, in which they genetically engineered maize to create edible vaccine for Newcastle disease, a disease that kills millions of poultry in developing countries.

Chickens that eat the genetically modified (GM) maize will produce antibodies against the virus.

“There is no doubt that this new maize variety will be a big boon to poultry farmers, especially in developing countries. They will no longer worry about expensive vaccines,” Observes Wachai.

The Gmo Africa blog offers commentary and news on the international application of modern agricultural biotechnology. On the Web at http://www.gmoafrica.org.