Modern varieties, international agricultural research, and the poor

Michael Lipton

Does the utilization of modern varieties or MVs in plant cultivation really help the poor? This paper takes a look at this issue and examines the evidence on effects of MVs on poor people as producers, laborers and consumers. In many environments, modern varieties (MVs) of plants now produce higher yields of less costly calories and less vulnerability to drought and disease, even without purchased inputs, per ton of food. The bio-economic impact of MVs should be especially favorable to smaller farmers, hired workers, and poor consumers, yet much of this "pro-poor potential" has been lost due to (a) insertion of MVs into social systems favoring urban groups and the big farmers who supply them, (b) demographic dynamics making labor cheaper relative to land, and (c) research structures prioritizing fashionable topics rather than genuine needs of the poor. Consumers' gains, from lower...