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Gene technology and sustainable agriculture



Gene technology is up now primairily applied to serve agro-industrial 
production. As multinational firms are controlling biotechnology this is 
not a surprising thing.

With the urge to shift from conventional to sustainable production 
worldwide, gene technology and gene technology legislation should be 
adapted to meet the demands of sustainable development and not become a 
hampering facrtor in the shifting process. (The Norwegain law gives an 
exapmle of this already).

>From  the Wageningen Agricultural University (Netherlands) I have started 
a project aimed at initiating gene technology applications that are in 
line with sustainable development and that show no discrepancy with 
social demands. 

At the early stage I am in now, I would like to receive comments, 
suggestions and gain contacts that could contribute to the projects' 
quality. Therefor, I would like to invite every expert or intelligent 
layman to reply on the following questions:

- Would you have any suggestions if you were able to steer 
biotechnological research. Would you have any priorities (e.g. 
specific crop characteristics) that in your believe would add to the 
contribution of gene technology to future (sustainable) food security, 
but is now insufficiently addressed? 
- Are there developments in biotechnology or biotechnology legislation 
that you find harmfull for achieving sustainable production on a global 
scale?, or put diferently: do you believe economical barriers are arising 
(eg less open acces to (genetic) resources) to achieve future food 
security as a result of technological and legal developments? Or do you 
see gene technology as it is organised today as a contribution to sust. 
devel.?
- Do you have the impression real effort is made to link the issues 
'future food security' and 'biotechnology'? If so, would you know any 
persons active in thie field?

Your reaction preferably by Email, or via the newsgroups,

Jan Benedictus,
Wageningen