Waiting on the gene revolution: Challenges for adopting GM crops in the developing world

• Food security is affected by multiple factors.
• Poor infrastructure can decrease food production.
• Land tenure problems can hamper dissemination of agricultural innovation.
• GM food success depends on a stable agricultural infrastructure.

Ensuring food security in the developing world faces new challenges as climate change and population growth strain resources. Genetically modified (GM) crops are a promising technology but face opposition due to perceptions of possible health risks and external interests, which ultimately affect trade policies between nations. Additionally, the lack of appropriate infrastructure in food insecure regions—poor access to financing, inadequate government support for agricultural extension, and unenforced laws on land tenure—make growers reluctant to adopt new technologies. In this paper, we present these themes and their interactions to help inform the discussion on the adoption of GM technology in the developing world. We focus our review on Sub-Saharan Africa, as it is often the target of new agricultural redevelopment programs from developed nations.