Posted 15th June 2001

Using Not Abusing Local Knowledge
by Lotte Asveld

DGIS' Special Programme on Biotechnology is a well thought-out attempt to build sustainable relationships between farmers in developing countries and scientists working on biotechnology, including gene-technology. New technologies provide a fair opportunity to solve the farmers'principal problems, like droughts and diseases. It would be well for people who believe in building their local communities in all countries to take note and emulate.

The Biotechnology Programme tries to give optimal opportunities for farmers to participate in technology development. Therefore, they do not receive 'ready-to-go' technologies from unknown labs. They are supposed to influence the development of such technologies. The result should be a democratic biotechnology, enhancing its effectiveness. The programme has therefore opted for a grassroots approach. National scientists collaborate with local farmers. The programme works in four countries: Kenya, Zimbabwe, Colombia and India. Scientists visit the farmers and discuss the problems faced by the latter. Together they search for solutions. The farmers' local knowledge about their crops is the starting point for such solutions. The technologies developed by the scientists need to use whenever possible locally available resources; they should in addition, be environmentally friendly. For example: a locally produced pesticide derived from a plant which flourishes in the borders of the farmers' fields.

The aims of this programme are laudable. Some problems do occur, though. First, a social divide exists between scientists and farmers in most developing countries. The differences between illiterate farmers and highly trained researchers are often much larger than is realised in Europe. In The Netherlands, for example, regular meetings between practitioners and officials are considered normal. This is often quite different in other cultures, where people are much more conscious of hierarchic social relations. Secondly, many farmers have lost much of their traditional knowledge, due to their use of agro-chemicals which save them much time and effort. Thirdly, the development of many modern technologies simply do not allow participation by illiterate farmers. Especially promising and complicated techniques involving gene-technologies are simply hard to understand for the farmers. They do have a sense of influencing the process, by talking to scientists and visiting their labs. But if the aim of the programme is to involve farmers in technology development, in fact only fairly simple techniques are eligible, like the making of compost and the manufacture of natural persticides. .