We work through our partners, often at the governmental and research institute level in each country, providing information to them so they can communicate it with their farmers.
Information technology will help us connect to the farmer in the developing world, even if indirectly through national researchers and companies who have access.
Often, vegetable farmers are younger, have a higher education level, and a higher income level then non-vegetable farmers. This means to us that utilizing IT to get the message out stands a better chance of success, especially with multilingual service.
TT: Any future plans to bring in mainland scientists to the center and what is blocking that from happening?
Lumpkin: The AVRDC is an international center and Taiwan is our host country. We have always had to consider and are impacted by geopolitical issues. Our goal is to help needy farmers and consumers, wherever they are, without concern for the politics of the region where they reside.
Over the past three decades, AVRDC has seen China, Taiwan and their relationship change. The relationship in some ways is now more open and one only needs to see the numbers of high-tech companies from Taiwan working in China to understand this. Another example is the discussion in Taiwan to allow Mainland China's businessmen to reside here.
My expectation is that AVRDC will employ the best qualified scientists from any country in the world, including China.
It has been AVRDC's experience that international scientific collaboration, communication and exchange have benefited all involved, and have raised the level of science in the participating countries.
TT: Any plans to open a center in China in the future?
Lumpkin: AVRDC, with limited resources, must plan carefully on where it can have the most impact. China has made major contributions to agricultural research, so much so that it is often a donor rather than a recipient in terms of technology.
We need to partner with countries which can contribute to those who are in need. China has hundreds of millions of rural poor living in regions remote from the coastal economic development.
AVRDC has already engaged the needs of China's poor through scientific exchanges here and training at our regional center in Thailand.
We welcome opportunities to collaborate with scientists in China and would seriously consider an offer to open a center there that would serve the needs of its poor.
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