Reorientation of Agricultural Research for Addressing Food Security Issues through Agricultural Biotechnology

R&D capacity is an important factor in harnessing new technological pathways for increasing agricultural productivity, building food security and contributing towards economic stability of agriculture-based economies, like India. Agricultural R&D in India gives high priority to application of biotechnology to evolve new genetically engineered strains of plants, resistance to pest and diseases, animals and fishes of high nutritional quality, and attaining environment-friendly farm practices. The success of such technological intervention will largely depend on a re-furbished and reoriented agricultural research system which is efficient and cost effective and which addresses the problems of marginal environments and interests of small and marginal farmers who dominate Indian agriculture. This paper argues for the need for reorientation of agricultural research for harnessing the potential of biotechnology in agriculture. Since biotechnology research is complex and highly capital intensive, the research system should allocate scarce capital resources optimally so as to ensure research efficiency and restrain a thin spread of resources. This can be achieved by prioritisation of biotechnology research and development and delivery of such agricultural biotech products which contribute to food security. Therefore, proper research planning, prioritization of agricultural biotechnology research and an effective policy framework are the essential components of utilization of agricultural biotechnology in a way that contributes towards food and nutritional security in India.