Why Good Science Isn’t Enough
From the time I was a boy growing up on a farm in Illinois, I knew I wanted to be a scientist. I had an innate curiosity about living things, and I wanted to help people like my dad do their jobs better.
Studying microbiology and biochemistry in college, I gained a deeper understanding of the magnitude and complexity surrounding our food production systems. I came to realize that feeding the world’s rapidly growing population and improving the sustainability of farming was going to be a major challenge for generations to come … we simply can’t farm in 2050 the way we did in 1970 when I left my dad’s farm. This insight set me on improving agriculture and food production as the course for my life’s work. Two years of post-doc work at University of California San Francisco, which was emerging as the epicenter of the biotechnology industry, gave me the new tools to help do this.
When I was hired in 1981 by Monsanto – a company hoping to establish itself as a leader in agricultural research -- I was thrilled. It felt like a dream opportunity to work with a terrific team of scientists on some of agriculture’s biggest challenges. I have to admit it I was a bit taken aback when I learned I was going to put all of my newly acquired knowledge into … the petunia. After all, while there are many admirable things about petunias, no one actually eats them.
But the petunia turned out to be the ideal plant for pioneering research – for developing a scientific technique to make plants more hearty and resistant to pests. And we soon proved that we could. By 1983, we had developed the first genetically engineered plant … a modified petunia!
We knew this was a major breakthrough. Since the dawn of agriculture 10,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers, farmers and plant breeders have improved crops by painstakingly selecting better plants without actually knowing the exact genetic changes involved. Our discovery made possible precise genetic improvements, and it meant we’d be able to develop all kinds of much needed solutions: crops that could produce more food with the same amount of land and use water more efficiently while reducing the consumption of fuel and other resources.
We also realized that people would have questions about these plants, chiefly around how safe they were to eat and for the environment. But we believed that once government health and environmental agencies approved them and independent third party scientific bodies reviewed and shared their findings, people would embrace them and the new possibilities they presented for solving some of the world’s most critical food challenges. Comfortable in letting the scientific evidence speak for itself, we turned our attention and communication efforts to our customers – the farmers who looked to us for help in solving their challenges.
Wow…were we wrong!
It turns out that having the endorsement of the scientific community was only a start. While we were focused on farmers, opponents of agricultural science grew more vocal in their criticism of GMO’s and succeeded in creating the impression of an untested science that was being foisted upon technology-addicted farmers by powerful corporate interests. These impressions started to shape attitudes and influence regulatory policies … to the extent that today new seed solutions are being delayed or kept off the market in certain countries. This was a cause for concern – not just for us, but for the entire food industry and the billions of people around the world who benefit from advances in agricultural science.
Last year, I realized Monsanto needed to make a change. “This isn’t working,” I told my colleagues. No one disagreed. Everyone realized we needed to open up, engage people directly and tell our story to the broad public.
Today, we’re in the midst of a significant pivot – we’re not talking just to farmers anymore. We want to communicate openly with everyone. I know we won’t win over everybody, but I believe that between us and many of our critics there is considerable common ground. After all, I think everyone wants safe and affordable food for all people. We all want sustainable agricultural and food production systems that preserve and enhance our environment.
And we know that solving the world’s food problems requires diverse perspectives and help from many. Collaboration is essential… nobody can do this by themselves.
I've learned the hard way: good collaboration and communication are just as important as good science. But I’m optimistic that with the right tools, policies and a common purpose, we can achieve food security in a sustainable fashion together...
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