Does the current GMO controversy help in clarifying the issues surrounding the use of modern biotechnology?
Unfortunately, the debate over GMOs has focused on risks to human health and the environment. While these concerns are important, the debate does not adequately reflect the interests of developing countries. This is because the issues are framed in the context of industrialized country concerns. For instance, the debate ignores the fact that since the rural poor in developing countries are mostly in farming, any technology that helps lighten the load of agricultural workers can free up time to pursue higher-earning occupations. An oft-cited example of the revolutionary potential of modern biotechnology is the harvest in 2001 by Kenyan farmers of the first trial crop of sweet potatoes for resistance to an aphid-borne disease that previously killed up to 80% of their crops. [79] In addition, one of the main policy goals of developing countries is to enhance food security, a problem that may not be present in many developed countries. While biotechnology cannot solve all of the problems a
