Des Moines, Iowa, USA – In October 2009, the Borlaug Dialogue and the World Food Prize Foundation hosted the annual World Food Prize. The World Food Prize Laureate is Dr. Gebisa Ejeta of Ethiopia for his discovery of a hybrid species of sorghum that is resistant to drought.
Happy Tonics was attending the 13th Annual Community Food Security Coalition Confernce in Iowa in 2009 around the time this event took place.
Bill Gates spoke at the Borlaug Dialogue event. Bill and Linda Gates Foundation donated a grant of $120 million to the “Second Green Revolution.”
The money is being given to Africa in part to grow drought hardy corn that 300 million Africans are dependent upon. Gates said the grant will be used in part to train African growers in the science of biotechnology. You can listen to Bill Gates speech at http://www.worldfoodprize.org/symposium/2009/video/gates.html
Collaborative efforts are ongoing between Monsanto and the Federal Government and the decision is to allow genetic engineered crops to combat world hunger in developing poor countries.
Monsanto, with approval of governmental partners including the White House, USDA Secretary Vilsack and Dr. Rajiv Shah, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will seek to plant genetically modified wheat in Africa. Africa is besieged with environmental threats to their wheat crop due of drought and disease. Wheat is one of the four most important crops in the world.
Happy Tonics supports local grown and organic crops. None the less, the public needs to be aware that GMOs are on the rise in the Global Food System.
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