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Science and Technology Hold Promise for Developing Countries
in the 21st Century
Scott Bauer, USDA/ARS
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In the 1960s, there was growing concern about rapidly increasing
populations and low agricultural production in developing countries.
This concern prompted increased research investments by private
and public institutions, including the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations,
to develop and implement new farming technologies and practices
in many of these countries. By the late 1960s, the development
and spread of high-yielding varieties of rice, wheat, and maize,
combined with greater use of fertilizers and irrigation, led to
the “Green Revolution,” a period marked by notable
increases in crop yields for the major grains. While the Green
Revolution brought increased production to many parts of the developing
world, some countries did not benefit as greatly. For example,
relatively little research focused on such crops as yams, cassava,
sorghum, and cowpeas—staples in many parts of Africa. As
a result, yield gains have been distributed unevenly among crops
and regions, hindering the ability of many developing countries
to achieve income growth and provide sufficient food for their
populations.
New developments in science and technology hold promise for increasing
agricultural productivity in developing countries in the 21st century.
A host of technological advances, realized through public and (increasingly)
private investments in research and development, are increasing
agricultural production in developed countries. These include improved
technologies for nutrient, soil, water, and pest management; precision
agriculture (such as the use of global positioning satellites in
farming); and agricultural biotechnology. Advances in livestock
breeding and veterinary science will increase both the quantity
and quality of animal protein available to consumers. Crops and
animals that can tolerate a wider range of environmental conditions
and offer consumers desired characteristics, such as nutritional
value and extended shelf life, are being developed. Innovations
in biological and information sciences have resulted in several
emerging fields—such as nanotechnology, which refers to the
ability to manipulate individual atoms and molecules—that
may form the foundation for new technologies that will be used
to improve sustainable agricultural production and protect ecosystem
functions.
But, without the dissemination and adoption of new technologies,
the full benefits of scientific breakthroughs will not be realized
in developing countries. Successful research and technology transfer
activities increasingly will depend on cooperative endeavors between
developed and developing countries and between public and private
institutions. Developing countries must determine which technologies
and advancements will address their unique economic, social, and
environmental needs. And then these countries will benefit from
working with developed countries and institutions to develop, adapt,
and transfer productivity-increasing technologies to farmers in
their countries.
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