The Economics of Horticultural Biotechnology

Technological change has driven economic progress in agriculture and will continue to play a crucial role in die 21st century. The latest wave of technological change in agriculture is based on die ability to specifically modify crop genetics dirough recombinant DNA techniques. Biotech crop varieties have been adopted on a wide scale in some agronomic crops, but horticultural crops face hurdles for commercialization. Market barriers are blocking die production of biotech horticultural crops diat have already been developed. High costs for research, development and regulatory approval combined with the small acreages planted and the diversity of varieties limit die potential for profitable applications of biotechnology for many fruits and vegetables, tree fruits and nuts, and nursery and landscape crops. Like most technological changes in agriculture, die introduction of modern biotechnology has met with spirited political opposition from some quarters. Such opposition could discourage adoption of biotech products that are wanted by some consumers, can be profitable for growers and could reduce the environmental impacts of crop production.