Tzotzos, G.T and Skryabin, K.G (editors; 2000):
Biotechnology in the Developing World and Countries in Economic Transition .
CABI Publishing. [Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8DE, UK; http://www.cabi.org; Email orders@cabi.org] ISSBN 0851993311; 321p; Price: US$ 85.00

The potential of biotechnology to improve the condition of human life are gaining credence. Generally, it could impact the economies of developing countries in terms of raising agricultural production while bringing benifits to healthcare, industry and environment. As with information and communication technologies, countries that do not develop the necessary expertise and infrastructure to take advantage this new technology may loose out in the race for this development.

This book provides an insight into how several developing countries and countries in economic transition build up capacity for the development and utilization of biotechnology to enhance their socioeconomic development. The first three chapters deal with challenges and opportunities in biotechnology, and with international initiatives that assist developing countries in building up the capacity to exploit the potentials of agri-food and medical biotechnologies. The fourth chapter surveys the status of biotechnology research and development (R&D) in selected developing and economic transition countries.

The first paper reviews the economic potentials of biotechnology and its social impacts on healthcare, agriculture and environment/industry of developing countries. In regard to health, the paper alludes to the fact that most of the R&D concerned with global healthcare does not address the needs of developing countries but concentrates on those of industrialized countries. The bulk of global R&D investment in health issues in 1996 was channelled into the development of novel drugs and vaccines intended to treat and prevent non-infectious and/or degenerative diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease that are major health problems in industrialized countries. Only 5 per cent of such investment focused on the health problems of the developing countries where malnutrition and infectious diseases are the most pressing problems. The majority of developing countries are unable to reverse this situation because they lack the commercial capacity to enter into healthcare biotechnology. The costs to develop new drugs and vaccines are prohibitive and can be as high as between US$ 200 and 350 million with research taking up to twelve years.

However, the book does identifies a window of opportunity for developing countries. It emphasises that the wide range of agrobiotechnologies with differing levels of sophistication, provides a leeway for developing countries to meet their specific needs. The authors highlight international initiatives in agriculture and health designed to assist developing countries. In agriculture, an array of international collaborative opportunities are available to support agricultural research institutions in the developing countries. These include the Rockefeller Foundation's International Rice Biotechnology Programme, the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology's (ICGEB) Plant Biology Programme and the Cassava Biotechnology Network among others. Such initiatives focus on crops and livestock critical to developing countries and on providing technical support in human resource development and advisory services.

In the health sector, private foundations such as the Wellcome Trust (UK) and the Rockefeller Foundation (USA), United Nations agencies and bilateral donors like the European Union, the USA and Japan have initiated international healthcare programmes mainly tailored to developing countries. Some of the initiatives include Children Vaccine, Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases and Human Reproduction Programme .

These international initiatives have been critical to developing countries. They have taken on-bound the needs of developing countries which may not be the focus of the private sector led biotechnology R&D in industrialized countries. They have also, contributed towards building up the capacity of developing countries to participate actively in the global biotechnology revolution.

The fourth chapter of the book focuses on selected countries and the state of their biotechnology. Profiles are given of 29 countries: eight from Eastern Europe, nine from Asia, and six each from Latin America and Africa. Issues such as national policy and regulation, research, development and marketing, constraints and future prospects are also covered.

All selected countries have embarked on a number of biotechnology programmes. It is evident that the relatively endowed countries such as Brazil, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, and India have developed an elaborate mechanism including some level of private sector support and participation in biotechnology development. From the profiles it is obvious that most of the biotechnology programmes in the selected countries were frustrated by inadequate funding, ineffectiveness or lack of regulatory regimes, and an absence of modern infrastructure and skilled personnel. This emphasises the point that the establishment of biotechnology programmes per se is not enough. What is more important is the provision of sustained support to enable the programmes to succeed.

The book is a valuable resource as it provides much information about biotechnology development in the countries selected. Furthermore, it provides a directory of research centres in developing and countries in economic transition and of various international initiatives in agricultural biotechnology. Such information can foster collaboration not only among developing and countries in economic transition, but also between them and industrialized countries.