A study on applicability of biotechnology to development in the Caribbean opportunities and risks

The present study analyzes the potential opportunities and risks involved in employing biotechnologies in
the Caribbean region. This information would support developmental policies in the areas of food
security, climate change and poverty reduction. The report provides a brief overview of biotechnology
development, covering industrial and other microbial biotechnologies, tissue culture and molecular
biology. Details of opportunities and risks of biotechnology development are provided for agricultural,
industrial, environmental, industrial and medical biotechnology, with information on the global
agreements for regulation of genetically modified organisms. The rest of the report analyzes the
Caribbean situation. Biotechnology applications, opportunities and risks in the Caribbean are described in
detail, with focus on industrial and agricultural biotechnology, and including climate change and
constraints to biotechnology development. The report closes with a discussion of the applicability of
biotechnology to the region in terms of agricultural, industrial, environmental, medical and marine
biotechnology. Conclusions and recommendations are provided. The main conclusion of the study is that
there is an urgent need for development and use of biotechnology in the Caribbean, especially in nonagro-
biotech sectors, to address food security, climate change, poverty, environmental degradation,
among other issues. In so doing, countries must take advantage of the opportunities presented by
biotechnology to gain competitive advantage and benefits, while at the same time put measures in place to
reduce or remove associated risks. This must be done taking into consideration economic as well as social
and cultural issues.