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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Charlotte J. Klopp
World Affairs Council of Charlotte
cklopp@worldaffairscharlotte.org
www.worldaffairscharlotte.org
Tel:
704-687-7759
Fax: 704.687.4372
World
Affairs Council of Charlotte Hosted Dr. M S Swaminathan,
"Father of the Indian Green Revolution” and World Food Prize
Winner; He Discussed the Worldwide Food Shortage and Hunger
Crisis.
Charlotte, NC, June 10, 2008 – Dr. M S Swaminathan, “Father
of Green Revolution in India,” World Food Prize Winner in
1987 and world-renowned agricultural geneticist spoke at the
World Affairs Council Voyager’s Club program on Monday, June
9th at 6:30 PM. Special guests, C.L. Vishin,
President of the Indian Association in Charlotte and Dr.
Jayaraman Raja, newly named Senior Associate Provost of UNC
Charlotte attended the event.
Swaminathan addressed the current food shortage and global
hunger crisis faced in the poorest of nations around the
world. He pointed out that despite the growth of wealth
around the world; developing nations are struggling to keep
up with food prices combined with the rising cost of energy
resulting in political and economic instability in countries
like Haiti and Bangladesh.
According to the U.N., over 800 million people suffer from
hunger and malnutrition, and many millions more are at risk.
Swaminathan is certain that practical solutions to a growing
hunger crisis are available. “We don’t have to wait for new
bio-technology advances. The technology is here. We don’t
have to wait to develop it,” he said. He indicated that
genetically modified crops and hybrids will continue to play
a key role in helping poor farmers grow more food; though
there is some global opposition to that option.
He proposed that governments need to provide a localized
response to meet both the economic and agricultural demands
of the average farmer; particularly in countries where
agriculture is a prominent form of industry. This could mean
fertilizer and seed provisions in addition to irrigation and
economic aid to the poorest of farmers in order to meet
local food demands
In addition, a global response is an absolute necessity as
the cost of wheat, corn, and rice has increased
exponentially impacting the poor. The role of developed
nations is essential to deal with the current food shortages
around the world. Swaminathan believes wealthiest of
governments need to rethink the way they grant crop
subsidies, cuts to agricultural programs, and the diversion
of food crops like corn (for bio-diesel).
He concluded by saying that the international community
needs to take urgent action to addresses issues of
malnutrition and hunger caused by rising food costs.
About the Speaker:
Dr. M S Swaminathan has been acclaimed by the TIME magazine
as one of the twenty most influential Asians of the 20th
century and one of the only three from India, the other two
being Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore. The India
Today, a leading journal of India, has described him as one
of the 60 most eminent Indians. He has been described by the
United Nations Environment Program as "the Father of
Economic Ecology" because of his leadership of the
ever-green revolution movement in agriculture and by Javier
Perez de Cuellar, Secretary General of the United Nations,
as "a living legend who will go into the annals of history
as a world scientist of rare distinction".
A plant geneticist by training, Dr. Swaminathan's
contributions to the agricultural renaissance of India have
led to his being widely referred to as the scientific leader
of the green revolution movement. His advocacy of
sustainable agriculture leading to an ever-green revolution
makes him an acknowledged world leader in the field of
sustainable food security. The International Association of
Women and Development conferred on him the first
international award for significant contributions to
promoting the knowledge, skill, and technological
empowerment of women in agriculture and for his pioneering
role in mainstreaming gender considerations in agriculture
and rural development. Dr. Swaminathan was awarded the
Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1971, the
Albert Einstein World Science Award in 1986, the first World
Food Prize in 1987, and Volvo and Tyler Prize for
Environment, the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament
and Development in 2000 and the Franklin D Roosevelt Four
Freedoms Medal, the Mahatma Gandhi Prize of UNESCO in 2000
and the Lal Bahadur Sastri National Award (2007).
ABOUT WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL OF CHARLOTTE -
The World Affairs Council of Charlotte is a non-profit,
non-partisan organization supported by funding from
individual and corporate member dues, foundations and
contributions. By serving as a regional center for education
and discussion of world affairs, WACC seeks to provide
leadership for global thinking, believing that a broad
perspective is necessary for effective competition in the
global economy and for responsible citizenship in an
increasingly interdependent political world. Please contact
our office at
704-687-7762
or e-mail
cklopp@worldaffairscharlotte.org
for more information about the council.
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