We Can Feed the World and Maintain Biodiversity, Scientists Say

Distinguished scientists Prof. Harald von Witzke, Humboldt University Berlin; Prof. Tim Benton, University of Leeds; Prof. Agnes W. Mwang'ombe, University of Nairobi; and Dr. Shardul Agrawala, Senior Economist at the OECD were the chief panelists in a "Town Hall' debate called Biodiversity World Tour held in Brussels. The event is part of a series of three debates which CropLife International and EuropaBio organized to examine global priorities for biodiversity preservation.

Prof. von Witzke emphasized the need to produce more on the acreage already being farmed to prevent further encroachment of agricultural land into biodiversity rich areas. This is a response to a growing world population in the next decade that will require 70-100 percent increase in food production. Prof. Benton introduced the idea that farmers can farm for food and farm for biodiversity, but not necessary planting both in a piece of land. This was supported by Prof. Mwang'ombe who said that Kenyan farmers were being encouraged to devote 10% of land to forestry and the rest for food.

Dr. Agrawala called on policy makers to address the environmental concerns that would consider biodiversity preservation and mitigate problems brought by climate change. "Feeding the world and preserving biodiversity is possible. We already have much of the knowledge and technology to make this happen, but we need to get it into the hands of many more farmers", said CropLife International President and CEO Howard Minigh.

Read the press release at http://www.croplife.org/files/documentspublished/1/en-us/NR/5706_NR_2010_10_23_News_Release_-_Scientists_say_we_can_feed_the_world_and_protect_biodiversity_at_Biodiversity_World_Tour.doc