La Jornada: Ivan Restrepo*
During their administrations, Presidents Fox and Calderon made a show of increasing public spending on research and technological development because, they said, a country that does not invest in these items is destined to be dependent on its natural resources, which it will not use rationally. For example, the enormous wealth of biodiversity is coveted by multinational pharmaceutical and chemical companies in order to patent and commercially exploit their discoveries.
Now a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) provides data showing that Mexico has had a serious setback, in the tragic past twelve years, in research and development. We were already in last place among OECD countries in those areas, but especially during the Calderon administration, the regression was even greater. This was despite there being unseen foreign exchange earnings from oil, tourism and remittances from the migrants in the U.S. and Canada. And they insistently touted major advances in economic, educational, environmental and social realms.
Neither the government nor the business sector actually spent more on science and technology. We are far from what they invest even South Korea, China, Denmark, Germany or the United States, which explains in great part their economic and social success. In Mexico, however, measures to encourage private investment in these areas leave much to be desired. We continue to follow the path of importing technologies rather than developing them domestically.
Research centers work with serious budget constraints; there is unemployment among those who complete their studies in universities and research centers. Meanwhile, we lack trained personnel, for example, in the areas related to the environment, non-conventional energy and natural resource management. Another sector with insufficient experts is the agricultural sciences. This is while a revolution in production is urgently needed in order to obtain food self-sufficiency and export crops which have high international demand.
The OECD notes that another major obstacle for better scientific development in Mexico is the educational system and training of specialists in fields related to science and technology. That is only achieved with sufficient public and private financial support and with quality education starting in elementary school.
Regarding the environment and natural resources, the inadequacies are evident, while the current government promises to obtain development without damage and seek sustainability. This requires prepared plans, decent wages and well-equipped research centers with sufficient resources to perform their work. And they need to coordinate their tasks with the public and private sectors, and society, especially with those living in regions with high biodiversity.
One history that shows the error of not investing in science and technology is that of alternate energy sources: solar, wind, geothermal and biogas. Those who were engaged in these areas in several research centers 35 years ago insistently presented to official bodies the need to support their work in order to take advantage of the countless benefits that Mexico has for tapping these resources. They were ignored, and Mexico then fell behind globally. Today energy multinationals are investing their money in Mexico. This is especially the case with Spain where, with government support, progress was made in a few decades in the field such that they now excel globally in wind and solar generation. ...
During his visit to Mexico, President Obama spoke of science and education as the engine of progress. Hopefully, the officials who listened and clapped and who now have responsibility for the running of the country in these and other areas will not forget. Spanish original
*Ivan Restrepo is Director of the Center for Ecology and Development