The supposed susceptibility of MVs to pests and diseases is again an oversimplification. Indeed, one of the principal contributions of biotechnology applications to plant breeding is the ability to improve the search for pest and disease resistance. Critics of agricultural technology, and of biotechnology in particular, see a conspiracy that links genetic improvement to the promotion of chemical inputs. However, part of the recent marriage between seed companies and the chemical industry was motivated by the prospect of crop varieties, such as those with bt genes. The politics of dependency on external inputs is a legitimate concern, but it should be distinguished from farmers' many efforts to improve their farming environments through activities such as soil fertility enhancement and moisture conservation.
Diverse varieties are only one tool that farmers use to ameliorate unfavourable conditions.
The two opposing visions of agricultural development are equally unrealistic. Both visions ignore the diversity, ingenuity, and adaptability of farming communities. Biotechnology deserves neither the simplistic vilification nor the unquestioning faith that characterize reactions to the Green Revolution. Technology cannot redress gross inequalities in access to resources, but much more can be done to ensure better access to technology. Robert Tripp Research Fellow Overseas Development Institute, Londen, United Kingdom.