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| William Kirk delivers 2000 D.W. Brooks Lecture. |
It’s hard to believe that in today’s
high-tech world, more than 4 billion people don’t have access
to refrigerated milk. And more than 400 million people
worldwide,
including 180 million children, suffer from vitamin A
deficiency.
All that could change quickly.
“Researchers are able to distill insights from mountains
of data and immediately reapply that knowledge to continue
pushing
the frontiers of science,” said William F. Kirk to a
University
of Georgia audience. Group vice president of DuPont Biosolutions
Enterprise, Kirk delivered the 2000 D.W. Brooks Lecture Oct. 2
in Athens, Ga.
Baby Biotech
Biotech applications in agriculture are in their infancy, he
said.
“Most current genetically enhanced plant varieties are
modified only for a single trait, such as herbicide tolerance
or pest resistance,” Kirk said. “The rapid progress
being made in genomics may enhance plant breeding to help secure
better and more consistent yields. This would be of great
benefit
to those farming marginal lands worldwide.”
Today, nutritional and health benefits beyond those available
in foods are delivered in pharmaceuticals and vitamin
supplements.
“In the future, the potential exists to provide these
benefits to a greater part of the world, at significantly lower
cost, through foods,” he said. “We have a tremendous
opportunity to help society.”
Super Food
Potential health benefits from biotech foods include:
- Soybean, sunflower and peanut oils lower in saturated
fats. - Fruits and vegetables higher in beta carotene and vitamins
C and E. - Bananas that deliver oral vaccines for diseases such as
hepatitis B. - Potatoes and corn with modified starch content.
- Strawberries with augmented cancer-fighting
nutrients. - Allergen-free rice and rice with higher lysine
content.
Farmable land on the planet is depleted every day, he said.
The most urgent need for agriculture is to create plants with
the
highest yields per acre possible.
A Hungry World
“According to the United Nations, 800 million people
worldwide
are already chronically malnourished,” Kirk said.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that two
of every five children in developing countries are stunted, one
in three is underweight and one in 10 is “wasted” due
to undernourishment.
“Biotechnology alone won’t solve the problems of hunger
and malnutrition,” Kirk said, “but it can play an
important
role.”
Waves of Change
Kirk said change in agriculture has come in waves. The first
was mechanization. The second was crop protection. “Today,
the third wave has formed: biotechnology and information
technology,”
he said. “And this wave promises to be
revolutionary.”
Technology, he said, “will help us improve food quality,
safety, taste, nutrition, cost and convenience.”
But it won’t be easy. While agriculture is used to being
constantly
reshaped by scientific breakthroughs, this change will be
different.
“Our industry has been accustomed to incremental change
as the population grew,” Kirk said. “But we now face
constant step changes, which are measured in months, not
decades.”
Competitive Key
Biotechnology may be the key to creating a competitive edge
in the global marketplace, he said.
“Biotechnology will be one of the most powerful tools
at our disposal for sustainable growth in the 21st century,”
Kirk said. “It is critical that we be responsive to people’s
concerns.
“The opportunities are large and exciting,” he said.
“We must continue to work with industry, government and
other
stakeholders to see that this potential is realized.”
Kirk feels only those who remain on the cutting edge of
technology
will prosper in this new environment.
“The only constant is change,” he said. “We
have to be on our toes to deal with biotechnology, e-commerce,
the knowledge explosion and the many new partnerships.”
The D.W. Brooks Lecture Series and Faculty Awards of
Excellence, sponsored by the UGA College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences, are named for the late UGA agronomy
professor and founder of Gold Kist, Inc., and Cotton States
Mutual Insurance Companies.