Important for this paper is the dynamics brought about by regulatory pressures and what this means for knowledge use towards productive debates that could lead to pro-poor biotechnology development. In view of this, there is need to re-orient the discussions around how actors in the respective value chains ought to respond to regulatory demands brought about by biotechnology, and how this impacts knowledge production dynamics.
The paper argues that biotechnology development will only contribute to economic development if knowledge (regulatory, social and scientific knowledge), emanating from different knowledge nodes is allowed to converge to a point where it can consequently
inform productive innovation policy processes. This argument is based on the
understanding that requisite innovation capacities need to be built in order for actors to use the resources at their disposal towards behavioural change for biotechnology regulation. Knowledge is one of the resources and how it is applied is crucial for biotechnology innovation process or trajectory.
