Fao agricultura

BIOTECHNOLOGIES FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
PROCEEDINGS OF THE FAO INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE ON “AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGIES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: OPTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN CROPS, FORESTRY, LIVESTOCK, FISHERIES AND AGRO-INDUSTRY TO FACE THE CHALLENGES OF FOOD INSECURITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE” (ABDC-10)

BIOTECHNOLOGIES FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
PROCEEDINGS OF THE FAOINTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE ON “AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGIES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: OPTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN CROPS, FORESTRY, LIVESTOCK, FISHERIES AND AGRO-INDUSTRY TO FACE THE CHALLENGES OF FOOD INSECURITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE” (ABDC-10)

F O O D A N D A G R I C U LT U R E O R G A N I Z A T I O N O F T H E U N I T E D N A T I O N S - 2 011

The designations employed and the presentationof material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products ofmanufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-106906-6 All rights reserved. FAO encourages reproduction and dissemination ofmaterial in this information product. Non-commercial uses will be authorized free of charge, upon request. Reproduction for resale or other commercial purposes, including educational purposes, may incur fees. Applications for permission to reproduce or disseminate FAO copyright materials, and all queries concerning rights and licences, should be addressed by e-mail to copyright@fao.org or to theChief, Publishing Policy and Support Branch, Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy. © FAO 2011 For more information, please contact biotech-website@fao.org or visit www.fao.org/biotech/

FOREWORD
Latest FAO figures indicate that the number of undernourished people in the world remains very high at close to one billion in 2010.The fact that one in six people in developing countries currently suffers from chronic hunger is not acceptable. Food security at local, regional and global levels will need to be realized in the face of emerging challenges. The first is the rapidly changing socio-economic environment. It is estimated that the world’s population will increase from about 7 to 9 billion people by 2050; that theproportion living in urban areas will increase from about 50 to 70 percent by 2050; and that people’s diets will change, shifting to increased proportions of vegetables, fruits and livestock products. The second is climate change, which is expected to have an increasing impact on agriculture and food security. Promoting sustainable agriculture in developing countries is key to achieving food security,and here it is necessary to increase investment in agriculture; broaden access to food; improve governance of global agricultural trade; and increase productivity while conserving the natural resource base. For the latter, it will be necessary to substantially increase investments in public agricultural research and development. Technologies to increase productivity and conserve natural resourcesshould be accessible, appropriate and adapted to the needs of smallholders, and functional demand-driven extension systems are essential for making this happen. The suite of technological options for farmers should be as broad as possible, including agricultural biotechnologies, which represent a large range of technologies used in food and agriculture for the genetic improvement of plant...