Washington, DC, USA
September 29, 2009
The Obama Administration has launched a bold new initiative to increase global food supplies by 50 percent and meet the expected demand over the next two decades.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced over the weekend that the Obama Administration is committed to helping small farmers improve output, increasing the availability of affordable food and improving the quality of life for the poor.
Jim Greenwood, President and CEO of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) issued the following statement in support of the Administration’s efforts:
“On behalf of BIO and its members, we applaud the Obama Administration for making global food security a top priority.
“As Secretary Clinton said, this initiative is ambitious, and it will focus on addressing the root causes of hunger by investing in technologies and infrastructure that will make farming more productive and profitable in developing countries. This, in turn, will make it easier for food to reach the people who need it.
“The Administration knows that if we simply provide assistance in the form of food donations, we can only help in the short term. But if we can teach farmers in developing countries to grow their own food more sustainably and share with them the knowledge of modern agricultural technologies, we can help the world feed itself now and in the future.
“Agricultural biotechnology has an important role to play in these efforts. Today’s farmers are sowing seeds that that yield more per acre while resisting insect pests and reducing the impact on the environment. Farmers and ranchers can help plants and animals better fight diseases and adapt to environmental stress and climate change. We can also enhance the nutritional content of foods and improve human health through plant-and animal-produced therapies.
“These discussions will only take on more importance as we celebrate World Food Day on October 16th with its theme, ‘Achieving food security in times of crisis.’ We know that science and technology are already providing solutions to meet challenges in agriculture by the 12.3 million farmers using agricultural biotechnology today in developing countries.
“We know we can increase the world’s food supply for both the short and the long term. We can help alleviate hunger, raise farmers’ incomes, improve health and nutrition, expand opportunities and strengthen regional economies. The biotechnology industry is committed to supporting that effort.”
* Read more about the U.S. Commitment for Advancing Global Food Security at www.state.gov/s/globalfoodsecurity.
BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.
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