Biotechnologies, international division of labor and the Brazilian case

This article emphasizes the contradictory impact of biotechnologies on the economic system, both between industrialized and Third World countries and within each of these blocs. The heterogeneous applications of biotechnology and the specific relations they establish between industrial and natural resources lead to a multiplicity of sectoral and national policies. Biotechnologies offer Brazil the possibility for more rational and competitive use of its natural resources, and at the same time an increased participation in key industrial sectors currently heavily internationalized. The key to success however depends on the ability to transform research into industrial strategy.

KEYWORDS:
Biotechnology; agrotechnology