June 16 (Bloomberg) -- The human population, now
approaching 7 billion, may top 10 billion by 2100. Agronomists
predict food shortages in our future, and it doesn’t take an
advanced degree to understand why: When food production fails to
keep pace with population growth, billions go hungry, including
many Americans. To avert disaster, we must find a way to squeeze
more grains, fruits and vegetables from ever less farmland.
While I am an environmentalist, I am convinced that
transgenic crops should be part of the solution. However, unless
we can improve their development and distribution, we will fail
to realize their potential.