Biotechnology and Sustainable Agriculture : Lessons from India

India's self-sufficiency in food production has been achieved by the adoption of chemicals-intensive farming methods which have contributed to serious deterioration of the environment. New evironmentally-friendly technologies, which maintain (or increase) current levels of productivity, are needed if the use of chemical inputs is to be reduced. This study examines the development and diffusion of biotechnologies in India, with respect to both products derived from conventional biological methods and those using the more advanced techniques of molecular biology. Thus far, the contribution of available biofertilisers and biopesticides to reduced use of agro-chemicals is marginal, due to the vicious circle created by problems of supply as well as demand. By and large, biofertilisers and biopesticides are being produced on a small scale, using inefficient technologies. Inconsistent quality and poor performance thus combine to limit demand and their acceptance by farmers which, in ...