19 Mar 2010 11:00
Unit:
Wageningen University
Location:
Aula, building 362, Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen
Organisation:
Wageningen University
Promotor:
prof.dr. E.C. van Ierland (Environmental Economics and Natural Resources)
Co Promotor:
Dr. J.H.H. Wesseler, Dr. J. Falck-Zepeda (International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, USA)
PhD research Enoch Kikulwe
The PhD thesis uses a framework addressing concerns towards genetically modified crops, namely GM banana, using real options and choice experiment approaches. The framework relates the economic benefits of GM banana to consumers’ concerns. The results show that the introduction of GM bananas would be desirable for the Ugandan society as a whole, mainly benefit poor rural households and would merit policy support. Nevertheless, if such a GM banana is introduced its introduction may result in strong opposition from the opponent segment of the population, which is composed of mainly urban consumers with an on average higher education and income. Interestingly and in contradiction to common wisdom providing additional information about the technology and its safety will not necessarily result in higher acceptance. Based on this case study biosafety regulators would need to consider these socioeconomic effects before a decision to introduce a GM banana is made. Regulators need to be aware a delay in introduction mainly harms poor rural households and an immediate introduction is warranted on economic grounds despite concerns among wealthy urban consumers. The research methodology in this thesis provides the basis for assessing socio-economic issues of other GM crops as well and contributes to the debate on the role of socio economic assessments as part bio-safety regulations under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
On the occasion of the PhD defense of Enoch Mutebi Kikulwe a mini-symposium on 'Bio-safety Regulations in Africa' is organized by the Environmental Economics and Natural Resources Group of Wageningen University in the afternoon of March 18. Speakers are Prof. Robert Paarlberg (Harvard University), Dr. Jose Falck-Zepeda (IFPRI) and Prof. Eric Tollens (Catholic University Leuven).
Click here for the programme of the symposium on March 18th.
Everyone who is interested can join the symposium and/or the PhD defense ceremony on March 19 at 11:00.
Thesis title: “On the introduction of genetically modified bananas in Uganda: Social benefits, costs, and consumer preferences”