“The new harvest” is a book that has been authored by Prof. Calestous Juma who is Director of the Agricultural Innovation in Africa Project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. According to the author, “the book focuses on the importance of boosting support for agricultural research as part of a larger agenda to promote innovation, invest in enabling infrastructure, build human capacity, stimulate entrepreneurship and improve the governance of innovation”.

ABSTRACT

The role of modern Biotechnology in the economic transformation of developing countries has become the subject of intense academic inquiry and public policy discourse. There is increasing debate about the potential contribution of Biotechnology not only in Kenya, but also globally. This debate has taken two divergent perspectives: Proponents of Biotechnology see it as the only viable solution to Africa’s socio-economic problems. On the other hand, critics of Biotechnology application treat it with caution and suspicion. This Public Lecture provides a platform to interrogate this issue and chart the way forward on Biotechnology for the East African Region in terms of policy and Research. The full text book is available at http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/files/the_new_harvest_complete_updated2011.pdf