Implications of GeneticallyModified Food Technology Policies for Sub-Saharan Africa

Anderson, Kym ; Jackson, Lee Ann

World Bank, Washington, D.C.

关键词: ADVERSE IMPACTS;    AFRICAN FARMERS;    AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY;    AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS;    AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-3411
RP-ID  :  WPS3411

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The first generation of geneticallymodified (GM) crop varieties sought to increase farmerprofitability through cost reductions or higher yields. Thenext generation of GM food research is focusing also onbreeding for attributes of interest to consumers, beginningwith "golden rice," which has been geneticallyengineered to contain a higher level of vitamin A andthereby boost the health of unskilled laborers in developingcountries. The authors analyze empirically the potentialeconomic effects of adopting both types of innovation inSub-Saharan Africa (SSA). They do so using the globaleconomy-wide computable general equilibrium model known asGTAP. The results suggest that the welfare gains arepotentially very large, especially from nutritionallyenhanced GM wheat and rice, and that-contrary to the claimsof numerous interests-those estimated benefits arediminished only slightly by the presence of the EuropeanUnion's current barriers to imports of GM foods. Inparticular, if SSA countries impose bans on GM crop importsin an attempt to maintain access to EU markets for non-GMproducts, the loss to domestic consumers due to thatprotectionism boost to SSA farmers is far more than thesmall economic gain for these farmers from greater marketaccess to the EU.