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    Public research-which public is that?

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    17 views6 pages

    Public Research-Which Public Is That?

    Uploaded by

    Peter Rosset

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    eedling & Biodiversity, Rights and Livelihood July 2005 GRAN Geese Resonces Aon MITETONAE Girona 25, pral, Barcelona 08040, Spain Tel: #34933 011 381 Fax: #34 983 011 627 I seedling@grain.org Web: wwmgrain.org Genetic Resources Action International (GRAIN) Is an international non-profit oF ganisation which promotes the sustain- able management and use of agricultural biodiversity based on people's control over genetic resources and local knowledge. To find out more about GRAIN, visit our website at wwwgrain.org, Gedling Seedling Is GRAIN's quarterly magazine, Published in January, April, July and October. It provides background articles, news, inter views and much more on the Issues GRAIN Is working on. Seedling is available free both In paper format and on GRAIN's Seedling website (vww.grain.org/seedling). To receive ‘Seedling in paper format or to inform us of a change of address, please contact GRAIN at the address or email above. Seedling is published as a collective effort of GRAIN staff. Janet Bellis the editor. Ifyou Would lke to contribute an article of other information to Seedling, please contact us. Outside contributions are attributed to thelr respective authors. You ate free to reproduce, translate and disseminate all or part of Seedling for non- ‘commercial use. We ask only that the original source be acknowledged and that a copy of your reprint be sentto the GRAIN office. Printed on recycled paper Deposite Legal No. B-25,166.92, Spain ISSN: 10025154 | Blinded by the gene GRAIN G Unraveling the DNA myth Barry Commoner | _ The Bt gene fails in India “Abdul Qayam and Kiran Sakhari |S Public research: which public is that? Aaron deGrassi and Peter Rosset % The promise of participation Miche! Pimbert 29 Johnson Ekpere - Agricultural research “in Africa prouting 22 Farmers’ privilege under attack “~~ GRAIN 32 R 36 Action! 47 GRAIN Home Page ‘Front cover pictures © Jan Banning / Panos Pictures, cambodia: Studentsa the {abort Schoo! n Panem Pen; Masanga Yes, Pastpur nda Women farmers erorming a parcpatory crop mapping errs ‘Back cover picture: © ciispin Hughes / Panos Pictures, Near Mtneu, Mala Farmer wating to the asin oer to Gow er sees. 4 — Public research theoretically offers considerably more potential than the corporate, gene-focused approach to generate crops that meet the needs of farmers. But In practice, much public research, especially that undertaken by the world’s international research centres, has also been blinded by the gene. Aaron deGrassi and Peter Rosset assert that farmers need to be returned 12 pay hdd oes electing scence Sint hage So So oth pete July 2005 to centre-stage to re-assume their central rol 6 custodians of the world’s agricultural resources and the directors of research and Innovation. Public Research: which public is that? AARON DEGRASSI AND PETER ROSSET for many year, che nxernational ‘Agrculcural Reseach Cenes (ARCS)! focused their research efforts almost caclusvely on thee crop: maize, whee tnd rice, The many varieties they developed were grown under controlled environ ments with regular inputs of ‘water, feliser, pesticides and labour This sategy was hesvily tiicued in the 1970s and 1980s for ignoring the many so-called “minor cpr” that poor farmers depend on in the uncer, resource-poor ‘vironments where they often lve. Tis led the TARCs to expand thir mento include new tri anid new cops, such a6 roots and tuber, legumes, and other cca sources of calories and protein. Butchi sills shor of the tal crop diversi farmers ws, andthe emphasisin breeding continues ro be on improving one or a small numberof tite applicable ro broad ranges of farmers, while farmers have mulple, location specifi rita, “Mainstream research and development, as practised by the IARCs, depends on natural scientists (and occasionally social scientists). evaluating rnew technologies, sometimes with the use of farmer surveys. However, scientists’ evaluations become rather complex and dificult when there ste numerous characteristics to compare and correlate. In the midst of such complexity, many researchers attempt to evaluate the performance of new technologies and traits by using a relatively restricted criterion: yield "Vield"refers tothe ourput ‘of single crop measured in weight per hectare, for 4 single season, without regurd to the cost of the inputs required to obtain itor the marker price the crop ferches. Because the notion of yield reduces the evaluation of the value of a variety co a single variable, ic can be termed a reductionist measure. Reductionst measurements are severely inadequate sa bass upon which to judge whether one vatieny Seedling, is superior to. another, preciely because such measures fil to incorporate other variables crucial to farmers production. The unstated assumption of ‘conventional breeding is that Toca” and “improved” ‘aes perform exactly the same inal respects but the one variable in question. A rpical study claims hac “by simply switching to the new wares ~ with to change in op management — small-scale firme Can ners yield by 10-30%," Researchers assume thac characteristics can be treated in isolation, and breeders can ‘turn the knob up! on, say, disease resistance, without affecting other characteristics, lke ste. Yee varices often contin multiple, linked characteristic that change during breeding, and do not remain constane. For stares, reductionist yield messutes all oo ‘often do not take into account the costs of labour ‘or capital inputs required by a variery: a high maize yield per hectare means lide if ie enaie proportionately higher costs to farmers (in fertiliser, hybrid seed, extra labour for row planting, for ‘example)? Norman Borlaug’ Sasakawa 2000 (SG 2000) programme to promote Green Revolution technology fled o adjust che amount of fertiliser ie ‘was recommending in Ghana, despite an increase of, the pric of ferliser by several hundred percent. Simplissc conventional analysis frequently also file to seriously address how marketing opportunites affect che profitability of new technology packages In Mozambique an SG 2000 project advocating a package ofimproved varieties and purchased inpute charateisically stated: "The large yield difirencer becween the radivional plots and those cultivated with the improved technologies ... cleanly demonstrates the role improved inputs lay in augmenting maize yields (emphasis added). However, the ‘yield ‘advan-tage” looks very different if we take into ‘account economic fictors such as how crop prices ‘vary at diffrent times ofthe year and in particular how prices drop during the harvest season. In the SG 2000 example, farmers adopting the package of technology may have had higher yields, but adopter farmers who sold their harvest during the marker glut did noe have a substantially higher ret reurn on their investment chan non-adopters, and, moreover risked having substantially lower net retuns than non-adopters. In other words, a new set of technology may ruse physical yields of food per hectare fora single season (the concern of reductionist research), but that does not necessarily sake it more profitable for farmers” Mainstream researchers are unable to sce how the circumstances at rescarch stations where crops are tested differ greatly from the (varying) ‘condicions poor farmers fice. Such incongruity Seedling beeween station and flds encompasses biophsical sextings (topography, soil type and condition, macro/micronutrient deficiencies, plot size and shape, hazards, pests and diseases, water supply, natural vegetation, crop mixtures) as well a scar economic constraints (timely and affordable acess to purchased inputs, seeds, credit, hbour, extension

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