The United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the USDA (USDA), have signed an agreement to support the development of sustainable agriculture in developing countries.

This agreement allows FAO to access USDA's funds, including human resources, to support sustainable agricultural development in developing countries. The ultimate aim is to help these countries exploit agriculture to attain the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

FAO/USDA collaboration in sustainable development programs, especially in the field of agriculture, is long overdue. In terms of resources, the USDA is well-endowed. It has the most innovative and visionary agricultural researchers and policy formulators in the world. Sample its leadership role in the development of Agricultural biotechnology.

The USDA has been instrumental in formulating agricultural policies that have acted as magnets for agricultural biotechnology investments. USDA has not embraced lone-ranger tactics to do this. It has put in place an Advisory Committee on Biotechnology & 21st Century Agriculture (AC21), consisting of industry representatives, nongovernmental organizations and farmers, to advise it on best ways to promote agricultural biotechnology.

Agricultural biotechnology has revolutionized the world's agriculture. Farmers can now grow crops genetically modified to resist drought and pests. Financial gains from such crops have been immeasurably high.

These are some of the lessons that FAO should be keen to learn from USDA. Agricultural biotechnology is not a new concept to FAO. FAO has been working in the field of agricultural biotechnology for long. It was instrumental in the formation of Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology, a body tasked with developing standards, guidelines or recommendations for foods derived from biotechnology.

FAO has already acknowledged that "biotechnology has tremendous potential for increasing food production and improving food processing..."

FAO and USDA, evidently, agree that agricultural biotechnology can be key to sustainable development in developing countries. As the two organizations embark on working together, they must bear in mind that developing countries are eager to adopt agricultural technologies, such as biotechnology.

By: James Wachai
Article Directory: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=443183

James uses his communication expertise to create awareness about GM food. To read more about him, go to http://www.gmoafrica.org/