WEBINAR: Reconciling Agroecology and Biotechnology

19 October 2021. Side event The International Borlaug Dialogue organised by U.S. State Department

As the world looks to promote sustainable agriculture and fight food insecurity, agroecology (often incorrectly conflated with “organic farming” and “regenerative farming” by some international actors) and agricultural biotechnology continue to be two central topics in developing sustainably agricultural systems. 

Unfortunately, anti-GE sentiments that are principally driven by political pressures give the false impression that agroecology and biotechnology are incompatible with each. This side-event seeked to have an honest, science-based, and data-driven discussion to reconcile these two approaches to understand how biotechnology can serve as an important tool that can work in conjunction with agroecological practices to promote sustainable agriculture and help small- and medium-sized enterprises and farmers.

• Matt Murray, U.S. Department of State Acting Assistant Secretary (host)
• Sarah Evanega, Cornell University Alliance for Science (moderator)
• Beth Bechdol, DDG, FAO
  

  "The FAO Strategy for Private Sector Engagement is the outcome of an inclusive consultation process. It builds on the needs expressed by FAO Members as well as on the recommendations and feedback received from private sector representatives." 

• Nassib Mugwanya, North Carolina State University 
• Dr. Walter Suza, Iowa State University

Beth Bechdol, DDG, FAO, explained (@36:36) how the framework is angered on 4 aspirations: (a) better production which leads to better nutrition, which can lead to a better environment and hence a better life for everyone.

“How can producer be helped to produce more with less? Trade-offs need to be balanced between economic, social and environmental sustainability. The increased production will have to be realized while minimizing environmental damage and protect biodiversity while preserving and restoring the planet ecosystem. Agroecology and biotechnology are both unique approaches.”

 “At FAO we have more fully embraced the concept of innovation, more than in the past. For the first time FAO has a chief scientist as part of its senior management. We also established a dedicated office for innovation. As we think about the major outcomes of the Green revolution of the fifties and sixties we saw it was the result of an investment in research and technology investment. But we have to acknowledge the green revolution came with trade-offs, particularly to environmental outcomes.”

“We are particularly excited about the next generation of gene-editing technologies which can improve plant and animal population.” For climate smart agriculture Agroecology and Biotechnology practices have very important role to play. It is therefore critically important to include for this a myriad of partners. We recognize - more than ever before as a global organization - the importance to bring in as a partner the private sector.

“The FAO Strategy for Private Sector Engagement needs to be country owned and led. It has to be action oriented and how a private sector enterprise can make a difference for at farmer level and in the field”.

“For many of the risk related concerns about partnering with the private sector we worked diligently inside FAO to ensure a risk management approach on how we will engage with the private sector. It not about the quantity of MoUs but the quality of collaboration with the private sector. We are almost take them one by one, whether we work in Rwanda, Guatemala, Syria. We have a balanced approach and very intensive risk assessment – which may even be very difficult to collaborate with FAO. We support the engagement with local entrepreneurs and creative start-ups. Multinational are less agile.”

Shared resource:
FAO Strategy for Private Sector Engagement 2021-2025

This strategy specifically targets the different types of the private sector from large national and multinational corporations, to financial institutions, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), industry and trade organizations and consortia which represent private sector interests, farmers and farmers’ organizations, producers’ organizations and cooperatives and philanthropic foundations.

FAO’s Strategy for Private Sector Engagement 2021–2025 (the Strategy) seeks to promote a more proactive and catalytic role for the Organization in support of its Membership by setting out a clear path towards more innovative partnerships with the private sector. The Strategy also strives to develop principle-based, purpose-driven partnerships that deliver a meaningful impact that leaves no one behind, respecting the Guidelines on a principle-based approach to the cooperation between the United Nations and the business sector.