Chris Gardner of the Waikato Times reports that AgResearch’s chief executive has said that scientists are morally obliged to use GM techniques to solve the world’s upcoming food crisis.
Dr Andy West has said that New Zealand is able to support 17 million people in terms of its current product mix, and that he feels morally obliged to look into GM – techniques which increase food production while decreasing the inputs necessary.
He has been at a workshop also including Dr Nina Fedoroff, Hillary Clinton’s science adviser, who also believes that GM food is the best way to deal with climate change-induced decreasing food production and increasing population.
An excerpt: (read in full here)
“[Dr West] said he expected New Zealand to weather climate change well, because of its geographic location, and attract more immigrants as a result.
“But he said research on matching food production with population growth had dwindled around the world.
“Dr Fedoroff said the world’s $1 billon spend on such research was pathetic.
“”It does not make sense to me. We should be investing far larger in world food production than we are. We will keep trying.””