Technological capacity building in developing countries:a case of crop biotechnology in Ghana

Abstract

This thesis assesses the state of biotechnology in Ghana. It shows the present status of biotechnology in terms of the physical facilities, human r~sources, information resources and the organisational system through, among other things, a survey of biotechnologyrelated scientific institutions including research institutes and universities in the country. The study also conducts a case study of 295 farmers in the New Juaben Qistrict to assess the potential demand for biotechnology innovations. The New Juaben District was -. ' _._----- randomly selected from the districts in the Eastern Region, which was ranked first in the production of food crops such as maize, cassava and plantain using data from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The study further analyses current biotechnology trends, examining the experiences of other countries such as Kenya, Korea, South Africa and the U.S. to establish the best practice in building capacity for biotechnology development. On this basis, the study generates some policy options for the advancement of biot-e-c..h._n"ological capacity --- --- ------------ development in Ghana. The findings are that in Ghana, the capacity for biotechnology innovations is generally limited. This is in spite of the fact that with respect to innovation supply, there is a significant core of human resource capable of addressing some of the country's agricultural problems. However, physical facilities are inadequate or completely lacking and the informational resources are limited. Besides, the organisational framework needs improvement especially as regards regulation and coordination to ensure impact of the various initiatives in biotechnological capacity development. On the demand side, researchers "Working on the on-farm problems of low yields, crop diseases, etc are apparently addressing farmers' expectations. However, there is a gap between the scientific community and the farming community. The present extension service according to the farmers can be an effective system for :Iddressing this problem. Nevertheless there is need for improvement in order to make the transfer of biotechnology innovations to farmers more effective. Thus, there is the need for a more viable linkage between supply and demand for innovation. The best practice as derived from the experiences ofother countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Brazil, Mexico, Korea and the U.S. calls for among other things, establishing a national priority area for biotechnology application. This must be based on the country's national endowment and its development aspirations. The relevant human resource must be enhanced and the relevant policies for regulation and promotion must be formulated. Above all, there must be a national biotechnology programme formulated through a holistic approach to ensure synergy in biotechnological capacity building.