Lessons learned from case studies of applying biotechnologies for smallholders presentation by Andrea Sonnino, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development and FAO, Rome, Italy

1. Andrea Sonnino
FAO consultant
ENEA – Biotechnologies and Agroindustry Division
Casaccia Research Centre
andrea.sonnino@enea.it
Lessons learned from case
studies of applying
biotechnologies for
smallhoders
FAO International Symposium on “The Role of Agricultural
Biotechnologies in Sustainable Food Systems and Nutrition”
Rome, 15-17 February 2016

2. Linking biotechnologies to economic, social,
environmental impact
2
19 case studies
Open call for proposals
Non GMO biotechnologies

3. Biotechnology used Plant species Improvement Country or
region
Tissue culture +
mutagenesis
Banana Virus-free +
plant
morphology
Sri Lanka
Marker Assisted
Selection
Pearl millet Drought
tolerance +
disease
resistance
India
Tissue culture Sweet potato,
plantain, banana
Disease free Ghana
Marker-Assisted
Selection + Tissue
culture
Cassava Virus resistance Africa
Somatic
embryogenesis
Plantain Rapid
multiplication
Cuba
Tissue culture Cassava Disease-free Colombia
Marker-Assisted
Selection
Rice Flood tolerance India
Crop sector
3

4. Drought tolerant, downy mildew
resistant pearl millet
4
900,000 ha in Northern India
Improved food security for 2 million peple

5. Swarna Sb-1 Rice tolerant to
submergence and lodging in India
5
1 million ha
3 million farmers in flood-prone areas
 1-3 ton per ha yield gain

6. Livestock sector
6
Biotechnology used Species Improvement Country or
region
Mutation detection
(Booroola gene)
Sheep Productivity India
Molecular
characterization
+ cryoconservation
Sheep Conservation of endangered
genetic resources
South Afric
Artificial insemination Goat Wool production increase +
quality improvement
Argentina
Artificial insemination Cattle Milk production increase Bangladesh
Fermentation Swine Treatment of effluents Brazil
Rapid diagnosis Goats Control of Peste de Petite
Ruminants
Cameroon
Sterile Insect Technique Cattle Control of tse-tse fly Tanzania
(Zanzibar)

7. Artificial insemination on a Community-based
approach in Bangladesh
7
4 dairy producing areas
AI beneficial when coupled with
veterinary services and milk marketing
Higher economic returns for farmers
(P<0.05)

8. Fishery sector
8
Biotechnology used Species Improvement Country or
region
Probiotics Shrimps Productivity +
reduction of water
pollution
China
Rapid diagnosis Shrimps Disease control India
Interspecific
hybridization (Artificial
insemination)
Catfish Higher production Thailand
Gynogenesis Jian carp Higher productivity China
Fermentation Small fish Prolonged shelf life Nigeria

9. Jian carp (developed from within-family
selection and gynogenesis)
9
160,000 farms
50% of China’s carp production

10. Lessons learned
10
1. Political commitment critical;
2. Foreign financial support
indispensable;
3. Int’l and nat’l partnerships vital;
4. Long-term investments in
education & infrastructures
necessary;
5. Integration into research mix and
farmers’ knowledge;
6. Int’l and nat’l sharing of genetic
resources, techniques and know-
how essential;

11. Lessons learned (ctd.)
11
7. IP issues were not a barrier in the cases
studied;
8. No need to conform to new biosafety or food
safety regulations (advantage over GMOs);
9. Flexibility needed to adapt to changing
farmers’ or market’s needs;
10. M&E frameworks generally weak (impact
difficult to evaluate).

12. Conclusions
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Despite complexities of farmer systems, agricultural
biotechnologies can represent powerful tools to benefit
smallholders’ livelihoods;
Political commitment, long-term investments and
enabling environment are critical to realize their potential.