2004 International Biotech Conference, World Food Prize

Camp – Des Moines, USA
Oct 12, 2004

2004 International Biotech Conference

The 2004 International Biotech Conference, the third in the series started in Des Moines, Iowa on Oct 12, 2004 with the presentation by Dr.Norman E Borlaug, the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. Dr.Borlaug, who is known as the Father of the Green Revolution, initiated the World Food Prize in 1986 and the Biotech Conference coincides with the presentation ceremony of the 2004 World Food Prize.

The Biotech Conference, sponsored by Iowa Corn Growers Association, Nebraska Corn Board, U S Grains Council, National Corn Growers Association and the U S Department of Agriculture is attended by over 80 participants from 36 countries. The conference will provide an opportunity to the participants to meet with farmers who use biotechnology to produce food and feed for themselves and their animals, interact with the regulatory officials and meet with customers who eat products prepared from foods produced by using this technology.

During the for days of the conference the participants will visit corn production areas, seed companies, super stores to get a feel of the systems that make biotechnology the most powerful tool today in the hands of the farmers to make food and feed available.

Just to get few facts, the location of the conference is well chosen, the heartland of corn, Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois which produces about 122 million metric tons of corn. The latest USDA report projects US corn production to be at a record level of over 290 million metric tons, which would mean the three states put together produce over 42 percent of US corn. The adoption of biotechnology in US is ranging from a low of 20% in Indiana to a high of 80% in South Dakota.

To mark the occasion, the U S Grains council launched the online Biotechnology Resource Center, which can be accessed at www.grains.org/brc.

The Biotechnology Research Centre will be an information hub and provide science-based information about biotechnology for decision-makers, consumers and journalists worldwide.

The first day – Oct 12, 2004

In his speech to the participants of the 2004 Biotech Conference, Dr.Norman E Borlaug spoke on “Feeding the World with Ten Billion People – Our 21st century challenge”. Dr.Borlaug is very optimistic about the growth of Agriculture by using biotechnology. He said, “World food production must be doubled in the next 30 years and 80 % of the future growth will come from lands which are already in production, especially in Asia and there is a limited scope to expansion of land in South America and Sub Saharan Africa”.

Dr.Borlaug shared his Biotech dream with the participants, which is, “Transfer Rice Immunity for rust (Puccinia spp.) to other cereals like wheat, maize, sorghum and barley and transfer bread wheat protein – gliadin and glutenin from making superior dough for leavened bread to other cereals especially Rice and Maize”.

The participants after the enlightening talk from Dr.Borlaug visited an elevator (Storage bins) which handles about 150,000 tons to corn. Last year the elevator turned 3 times, handling 450,000 MT of corn in one year.

The participants had a chance to visit Mr.Gordan Wassenaar’s farm, which has over 1500 acres of land and crops corn of around 700 acres and soybean on another 600 acres. He is an advocate of biotechnology and utilizes the technology himself which help him to produce a better quality product and also helps the environment by improving the quality of life for his community. The farmers as true environmentalists would like to leave a legacy for the future generations, a land which is better, air which is much cleaner and water which is less polluted. Biotechnology as a tool can make it possible.

World Food Prize

In this year of Rice, the World Food Price has been shared by two scientists, Prof.Yuan Longping of China and Dr.Monty Jones of Sierra Leone.

Prof. Yuan, achievement led to the world’s first widely grown hybrid, which revolutionized the rice production in China and lead him to become the “Father on Hybrid Rice”.

Dr.Jones, developed new rice for Africa, by combining Asian and African rice species which provided hope to millions of poor farmers in Africa to produce food for themselves and other in the continent.