Vatican Encourages Dialogue among Stakeholders for Food Security

Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, presented during the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium in Iowa on 17 October 2013. The Cardinal directly addressed the controversy of GM food and used the Catholic thought and Vatican II as his reference points. He quoted Pope John Paul II who said, "The findings of science must be put to use in order to ensure a high productivity of the land in such a way that the local population can secure food and sustenance without destroying nature."

Cardinal Turkson also said that it is right to celebrate the achievements of the scientists who were hailed as this year's WFP Laureates. He stressed that the Catholic church is not anti-science, nor it promotes biotechnology. He called for a meaningful dialogue amongst the stakeholders since all sides of the controversy are targeting overcoming hunger and sustainable agriculture. He said that through mutual and respectful listening with a genuine desire to learn from the other, will lead to better, enduring, and sustainable solutions towards world food security.

Read the complete transcript of Cardinal Turkson's presentation at http://ofwlaw.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/cardinal-turkson-at-world-food-prize-in-des-moines-10-17-2013.pdf.