Brookes Presents Global Impact of Biotech Crops (1996-2015) to Indonesian Stakeholders

Over the last 20 years, crop biotechnology has significantly reduced agriculture's environmental impact and stimulated economic growth in the 26 countries where the technology is used. The innovative agricultural technology has contributed to preserving the earth's natural resources while allowing farmers to grow more, high quality crops. It has also helped alleviate poverty for 16.5 million, mostly smallholder farmers, in developing countries. This was forwarded by Graham Brookes, director of PG Economics, UK during a talkshow for media practitioners and seminar on September 11-12, 2017, at Arya Duta Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia.

Brookes delivered a report on the Global Impact of Biotech Crops: Economic and Environmental Effects 1996-2015. He mentioned that in 2015, farmers in developing countries received $5.15 for each extra dollar invested in biotech crop seeds, whereas farmers in developed countries received $2.76 for each extra dollar invested in biotech crop seeds. 


Ms. Ignatia Maria Honggowati of the Coordinating Ministry of Economy Affairs talked about the Roadmap on the Use and Development of Genetically Engineered Product; Prof. Dr. Bambang Purwantara of Indonesian Biotechnology Information Centre (IndoBIC) presented the Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2016; while Prof. Dr. Bustanul Arifin of Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) and Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) delivered talks on Prospects of Biotechnology Products for Strengthening the Indonesian Economy; and The Role of Biotechnology to Support Indonesia's Food Security: Potential to Increase Corn Production.

Some 100 participants from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Coordinating Ministry Economy Affairs, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Ministry of Trade, representative of Biosafety Commission and the Technical Team, media practitioners and private sectors attended the two-day event. The event was conducted by a collaborative effort between IndoBIC and The Coordinating Ministry of Economy Affairs with support from Croplife Indonesia, SEAMEO BIOTROP, and the International Services for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA).

For more details, contact Dewi Suryani of IndoBIC at catleyavanda@gmail.com.