Intellectual property rights issues and developing countries: A private-sector perspective

The activities in agricultural biotechnology are progressing rapidly, but the benefits of this new biological revolution have not yet reached the poorest parts of the world. One reason is that developing countries lack intellectual property rights (IPRs) protection, which limits the private sector's ability to introduce cutting-edge technology to these countries. Strengthened IPRs at the national level do not just serve the current net exporters of technology; in the long run they also promote sustainable economic growth in developing countries. Companies from the developed world have a role to play in the targeted transfer of technologies and know-how to local agencies in the developing world that can support subsistence farmers. These technologies must be in a form that can help improve the quality of life of the local population. Only then can we say that the developed world is helping to optimize the benefits of biotechnology for the poor.