The need for new agricul T ure , bio T echnology and bioscience en T repreneurship in T he

The Asia-Pacific region is home to seven of the world’s most populous countries and plays a dominant role in the global demand for food. The region still suffers from high levels of food insecurity despite remarkable success in reducing poverty. A renaissance in thinking and action is needed, in which a “new agriculture”, based on modern bio-scientific knowledge and harnessing the best of biotechnology, is translated into food products through entrepreneurship by small to multi-national entities. This “lab to market” path has many challenges. While r&D capacity is relatively well-developed, there is still a widespread lack of knowledge and experience in commercialization processes. This article aims to show how “new agriculture”, biotechnology and bioscience entrepreneurship can make a significant contribution in improving agricultural productivity, ensuring agricultural surpluses in the countryside, raising incomes for farmers and protecting the environment.