Such lofty words cannot mask the fundamental power imbalances and risks involved in bringing diverse systems together. The Crucible Group strongly advocates the creation of a new research covenant within each nation, but it stresses that such covenants must ensure mutual respect and mutual benefit. The covenant must also guarantee each party intellectual independence and strengthen the capacity of each for self-reliance. It is to be expected that some countries will not be able to meet these important criteria, and genuine collaboration will not be possible. Governments and rural societies need to work together to establish feasible mechanisms to allow farmers and herbalists to help other researchers and administrators understand rural realities.
Governments can encourage the development of new enterprises in a number of ways.
From this base, they could develop a local research capacity. International enterprises could also play a role in national research. Most developing countries, however, do not provide a sufficiently affluent and consistent market to attract international seed companies. Corporate breeding programs generally target specific crops with varieties designed for relatively large, well-defined markets and special growing conditions. These conditions are more likely to be found in temperate climates, although they occur elsewhere.