GM Crops Can Contribute to Increased Food Production and Reduced Hunger

St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) June 19, 2007 -- In the year 2000, more than 800 million people were food insecure, despite agricultural productivity throughout the 20th century that lifted millions from poverty by increasing yields, improving nutrition and generating income among resource-poor farmers. In an exclusive video interview and podcast, Dr. Per Pinstrup-Andersen -- the 2001 World Food Prize Laureate -- supports the use of crops developed through genetic engineering to increase food production and reduce hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

"800 million people, all together, do not know where their next meal is coming from," says Dr. Pinstrup-Andersen. "And I remind you that 75 percent of the people we're talking about are in rural areas. If we want to help them to escape poverty, we've got to help them to produce more on the resources that they have. ... And, that's why agriculture research is so extremely important."

"Maybe we should begin with what's really important -- namely that every minute that we sit here, 10 preschool children will die from hunger and malnutrition. ... If you add that up on an annual basis, it's about 6 million preschool kids who die unnecessarily. They die because they don't have access to enough food," continues Dr. Pinstrup-Andersen, the H.E. Babcock Professor of Food, Nutrition and Public Policy and Professor of Applied Economics at Cornell University, catalyst behind the 2020 Vision Initiative, and vocal advocate for increased research to support food production and policy.

"If we can develop drought-tolerant material that small farmers can plant in their environment, they can produce something the next time the drought comes around. ... When the drought comes right now, the farmer loses his or her crop, and a child dies," explains Pinstrup-Andersen. "Now, if you are the woman who is trying to feed her kids and a drought hits, she wants a solution to the problem -- whether it's genetically modified or otherwise is of less importance to her. She wants a solution."

In a 2000 report on the role of genetic engineering or biotechnology in meeting global food needs, the National Academies and six other international scientific organizations stated that, "GM technology, coupled with important developments in other areas, should be used to increase the production of main food staples, improve the efficiency of production, reduce the environmental impact of agriculture, and provide access to food for small-scale farmers." Other groups have issued similar findings, including the International Food Policy Research Institute, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, Pontifical Academy of Sciences and Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

"So, the question really is: Are we going to apply science to help farmers to produce more on the land that is suited for agriculture?" questions Dr. Pinstrup-Andersen. "Shouldn't they use the best science can offer to solve their problems -- meaning hunger, malnutrition? Of course they should."

In addition to Pinstrup-Andersen's video, visitors to the Conversations about Plant Biotechnology Web site can access comments from other renowned thought leaders including Nobel Peace Prize recipient and leader of the Green Revolution Dr. Norman Borlaug; Director of The Earth Institute and Director of the United Nations Millennium Project Dr. Jeffrey Sachs; as well as Chairman of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) Dr. Clive James. The personal experiences of farmers who grow crops developed through genetic engineering are also available -- including conversations with subsistence farmers from India, the Philippines and South Africa.

Conversations about Plant Biotechnology is designed to give a voice and a face to the farmers and families who grow GM crops and the experts who research and study the benefits of biotechnology in agriculture. The Web site contains nearly 60, two- to three-minute, extremely candid, straightforward and compelling video segments with the people who know the technology best. The Web site is hosted by Monsanto Company -- a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality.

Contact:
Ranjana Smetacek
314-694-2642

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