Scientists 'morally obliged' to use GE to solve food crisis

AgResearch's chief executive says scientists have a moral obligation to use genetic modification to solve a pending world food crisis.

Speaking at yesterday's United States-New Zealand Agriculture and Food Workshop at Ruakura Research Centre, Andy West told a group of scientists, including US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton's adviser Dr Nina Fedoroff, that New Zealand would attract more immigrants as it weathered climate change better than the rest of the world.

Dr Fedoroff, who advises Mrs Clinton on science and technology, told the workshop that new crops, new methods and new systems were needed to feed the world's growing population, and these would only come from science.

Dr West and Dr Fedoroff painted a grim picture of a world food shortage if predictions of a 4 degrees Celsius rise in the world's temperature occurred, and the world's population peaked at nine billion by 2050.

"If genetic modification can create more food from fewer inputs, I think we have a moral obligation to use it. With our current product mix, New Zealand can feed 17 million people," Dr West said.

He 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."

Dr Fedoroff said molecular modification of crops would be needed to ensure they survived as the world heated up.

"New crops, new methods, new systems – those, of course, will only come from science."

Dr West said genetic modification was needed to boost agriculture.

Each productive hectare now had to support 6.5 people compared with 2.4 people a century ago, he said. "That's quite a challenge for science and agriculture.

"We are going to flip the temperature four or five degrees higher and then find it hard to pull it back down again."

- © Fairfax NZ News