The impact of biotechnologies and protection on the world sugar market

Abstract

Over the last decade, biotechnologies have become a major challenge to the world's agricultural markets. By considering the sugar market, this paper demonstrates the influence of national policy interventions on the process of market introduction of these technologies. The results suggest that protectionism in industrialised countries has promoted the development of substitutes and depressed the competitiveness of new technologies in the field of sugar plant production. Techniques of bioprocessing have reached the stage of technical maturity due to strong public support. The costs of these changes are largely borne by consumers and taxpayers in richer countries and by Third World exporters.