Farmer Adoption of Biotech Crops in Developing Countries

Of the developing countries in Asia that grow biotech crops, China, India, and the Philippines have had the most extensive experience. They represent an unmatched wealth of critical information and insights towards a better understanding of the social environment that favors biotech crop adoption. Developing countries can learn from their experiences by knowing who the adoptors of biotech crops are, what factors influenced their adoption, and what significant changes have occurred in farmers' lives.

Key researchers and farmers from the three countries will present highlights of a research titled Adoption and Uptake Pathways of GM/Biotech Crops by Small-scale, Resource-poor Asian Farmers in China, India, and the Philippines in an international conference to be held April 2-3, 2013 in Manila, Philippines. The conference will be co-organized by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), the John Templeton Foundation, and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).

A workshop will solicit policy recommendations to enhance biotech adoption in developing countries. The conference will also link stakeholders through a network to encourage interaction even after the event. In addition, participants will visit a biotech corn farm in Concepcion, Tarlac to enable them to interact with farmers.

Conference participants will be stakeholders in the agriculture arena represented by policy makers, scientists and researchers, science communicators, media practitioners, extension workers, and farmers from the developing countries. 

For further details about the workshop, email Dr. Mariechel Navarro at m.navarro@isaaa.org or Ms. Jenny Panopio at jap@agri.searca.org.