BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Agri-biotechnology has the potential to improve the lives of billions of people in the developing world through improved crops, higher productivity, better pest management and a safer environment. For India to benefit from these developments, it is urgent and essential that the public is educated on the realizable benefits and probable risks related to genetically engineered products. We also need to reorganize the mechanism of regulating GE products by providing for an expedient, transparent and responsible authority. The media have a very important role to play in this regard. Only an informed and reassured public can make viable choices.

Unlike most other sectors, the growth in Agribiotechnology will not be led by the private sector alone. There is a need to develop innovative Public-Private partnership models to support the use of technology by the small farmers of the country.

We have to ensure that the end users are educated about all aspects of the new technology. There is need to develop an effective mechanism to enforce the laws and regulations regarding the use of agri-biotechnology in the country.While Indian companies engineer crops to meet the needs of Indian agriculture, there are several opportunities to collaborate with foreign companies in the field for research, product development and commercialization. There is also a potential for multinational companies that are looking to invest in developing markets to learn from the experiences of Indian companies.