Agricultural Research and Its Impact

Study Notes

Agricultural Research and Consumers

Low-income consumers benefit significantly from agricultural research, as they spend 80% of their income on food, and food prices tend to decrease as agricultural productivity increases.

Categories of Agricultural Research

Basic Research: Develops knowledge with little or no specific use in mind, often carried out in developed countries or large developing countries.
Applied Research: Aims to solve specific biological, chemical, physical, or social science problems affecting one or more countries or areas.
Adaptive Research: Modifies or adapts applied research results to local conditions within a country or region.
Testing Research: Conducts assessments on local experiment stations or farms to determine whether research results from other locations are suitable for solving local problems.

Sources of New Technologies

Public and Private Research: Followed by local technology transfer.
Technologies Transferred from Other Countries: Often adapted before adoption.

International Technology Transfer: The Green Revolution

What was the Green Revolution?: A set of research and technology transfer initiatives that increased agricultural production worldwide, particularly in the developing world, starting in India in the late 1960s.
Key Features: High-yielding varieties (HYVs) of cereals, chemical fertilizers, controlled water supply, and new methods of cultivation.
Effects: Rapid adoption of superior varieties, cereal production more than doubled in developing nations between 1961-1985, and wheat and rice technologies have kept down consumer prices.

Modern Biotechnologies

Definition: Any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives to make or modify products or processes for specific use.
Examples: Marker-assisted breeding, tissue culture, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), genomics, and PCR disease diagnostics.

Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs)

Definition: Involves the insertion of DNA from one organism into another or modification of an organism's DNA to achieve a desired trait.
Examples: Golden rice, Bt corn, and herbicide-resistant plants.

How are Plants and Animals Modified?

Plants: Agrobacterium or particle gun is used to insert genes into plants.
Animals: Microinjection method uses a fine needle to inject a solution of DNA into a developing embryo.

Potential Benefits and Risks of GMOs

Benefits: Humanitarian (pest resistance, increased nutrition, edible vaccines), environmental (reduced risk, reduced use of pesticides), and increased food production.
Risks: Potential environmental hazards (reduced effectiveness of pesticides, loss of biodiversity, harm to other organisms), allergens, and unknown health risks.

Description

This quiz explores the benefits of agricultural research, including sustainable methods for controlling insects and diseases, genetic manipulation, and improved agricultural policies. It also discusses the impact of agricultural research on consumers, particularly low-income consumers, and its effects on nutrition.