Agriculture Governance : Biotechnology Context

HyderabadDecember 18 2014

C RavishankarDirector, Monsanto India

Biotechnology as one means to an end

Producing More

2X yields in our core crops by

2030

BreedingBiotechnology

Agronomy

Conserving More

1/3rd lesser resources per unit

(land, water,energy)

N2 use efficiency

H2O use efficiencyPest Management

Improving Lives

Help farmers improve quality of

life

DietsEducation

Vibrant local economy

Holistic R&D to create systems of solutions…

…using a spirit of partnership

GovernanceAt the risk of repetition

All processes of governing, whether undertaken by a

government, market or network, whether over a family,

tribe, formal or informal organization or territory and

whether through laws, norms, power or language

Key Objectives in Biotechnology GovernanceFor whom the bell tolls ?

Sustained yields as advertised Safe, Affordable Food

Predictable Growth, Margins Climate, Biodiversity, Ecology

Industry has a vested interest in good governance

You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the

time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time

Abraham Lincoln

…But can we rely only on rational self interest of corporates ?

Farmers in India do not believe blindly in mass media advertising

They do not even believe in claims made in person by companies

They never ever adopt a new product on their entire acreage

They try, experience, and gradually adopt innovations

They rely on a fellow farmer / direct observation to decide on trials

40 years of Monsanto Experience in India

Different models of governance possible

TOP DOWN• Regulation of firm entry norms, R&D,

new product introduction, operations, issue redress mechanisms, claim veracity• Ad Hoc interventions to ostensibly

protect a stakeholder group

BOTTOM UP

• Farmer choice, supported by transparency of performance

• Consumer choice supported by fair, fact based information (not misinformation)

• Vigorous Competition

Industry Self Regulation : Norms of Good BehaviorIndustry Ombudsman / Dispute Resolution

Industry sponsored objective product assessments

Some desirables from regulation

• Let the rules be known, known clearly, at the outset• Let not rules change often • Alignment of centre and states…

• Avoid replication of what the market can do : weed out bad products and companies, regulate price

• Help market be efficient : create transparent objective performance measurement, reduce entry capital barriers, while preventing fly-by-night operators from entry

• Adopt clear rules for intellectual property protection, to be replicable (everyone interprets them the same way)

• Promote local innovation through government venture capital, large deals with owners of IP

• Create business models in non-hybrid seed markets

• Make in India – extend to food/fibre !• Can be biggest route to poverty alleviation• Give farmers a level playfield, support on insurance, extension

Predictability

Complement to market

mechanisms

Promote fair innovation

Think long-term

THANK YOU !

& we would be happy to talk further !