AU J.T. 7(3): 133-136 (Jan. 2004)

World Food Prize: The Prize Reachable by a Thai?

Sutat Sriwatanapongse National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

In of every year, there is an important event, the “ Laureate Awarding Ceremony” in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The $250,000 prize, known as the “Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture”, is the world’s foremost award recognizing breakthrough contributions to the quality, quantity, or availability of food. It was the most significant observance of the UN World Food Day on 16 October. In 2003, there was another event, the ‘Agricultural Biotechnology’ meeting organized in Des Moines by the US Grains Council. Both activities will be reported in this paper. The World Food Prize was initiated in 1986 by a rich family led by Mr. John Ruan, a business man and philanthropist. Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate of 1972, together with Mr. Ruan, successfully established the “World Food Prize Foundation”. There were 17 World Food Prize Award winners in the past. In 2003, the winner was Mrs. Catherine Ann Bertini, UN Deputy Secretary-Genera, an American. Her direct responsibility has been the food distribution in poor, needed countries. One observation is that all of the awardees had served the international agencies. At present the application of high technology such as biotechnology could significantly contribute to effectively improve agricultural productivity. It is anticipated that a Thai citizen, some day, could win this prize if his/her work shows significant contribution to world food production through research, extension, and distribution that may have an impact in reducing poverty in poor countries. Keywords: World Food Prize, agricultural biotechnology, genomics, MAS, EST.

Introduction events of this year awardingceremony and related activities will be reported in this paper.

In October of every year, there is an The World Food Prize important event, the “World Food Prize Laureate Award Ceremony” in Des Moines, The World Food Prize was initiated in Iowa, USA. The $250,000 prize, known as the 1986 by a rich family led by Mr. John Ruan, “Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture”, the John Ruan III and the family. Dr. Norman E. world’s foremost award recognizing break- Borlaug, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate of through contributions to the quality, quantity, 1972 and Mr. John Ruan, a businessman and or availability of food. It was the most philanthropist, who were born just a month significant observance of the ’ apart in a small town in the state of Iowa, World Food Day on 16 October. The author successfully established the “World Food Prize has been invited to join this event every year, Foundation”. At present, Ambassador Kenneth but his wish came true only this year. Dr. M. Quinn, also a citizen of Iowa, is the Banpot Napompet of Kasetsart University and Foundation’s President. The Prize’s Council of the author were invited by the US Grains Advisors include: Dr. , the Council to join the “Agricultural Biotechnology” Honorable Jimmy Carter, the Honorable meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, where the prize George Bush, Mr. Robert McNamara, and award ceremony took place. Some interested eight other well-known persons.

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The Winners of the World Food Prize more susceptible to diseases and lower yield than normal maize. Moreover, opague2 gene is There were altogether 17 award winners recessive and easily become normal when of the World Food Prize in the past. Among the planted near normal maize. popular ones was Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, a During 1971-1972, Thailand National citizen of India, former Director-General of the Corn Breeding Project worked on opague2 International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in maize improvement under the author’s responsibi- the , who was the World Food Prize lity. Dr. E.W. Sprague, Head of the Rockefeller Laureate of 1987. Foundation Agricultural Project, helped getting The World Food Prize Laureate this year support from the US National Institute of was Mrs. Catherine Ann Bertini, an American Health to carry out breeding and chemical citizen working for the United Nations as the analysis work. When Dr. Sprague moved to Deputy Secretary-General. Her direct responsi- CIMMYT and became the Director of Maize bility has been the food distribution in the poor, Program, the author had a chance to join badly needed countries. CIMMYT during 1973-1974 as a visiting One observation was that all awardees scientist and work with Dr. Vasal in the High had served the international agencies. For Quality Maize project under the NIH support. example, in 1997, it was Dr. Gurdev Khush, a Effort had been made to breed for hard rice breeder at IRRI. In 2000, it was Dr. S.K. endosperm opague2 maize in order to over- Vasal, the author’s close friend from the come those weakness. It took CIMMYT more than International Maize and Wheat Improvement ten years to come up with hard endosperm, Center (CIMMYT) who was working in the modified opague2 varieties. These varieties gave Quality Protein Maize Project. He began this as high yield as normal counterpart. However, work while in Thailand as a postdoctoral contamination problem still existed, causing fellow with the Rockefeller Foundation, and difficulty in releasing it for farmers’ use. During later moved to CIMMYT. During 1973-1974, the past 5-6 years, CIMMYT has picked up this the author had an opportunity to join his work type of maize for release in Africa under the there in Mexico under the UNDP project. Sasakawa Global 2000 Project. Dr. Borlaug has been a key man in promoting this type of An Example of the Awarded Project maize production in Africa. Dr. Surinder K. Vasal, a CIMMYT maize breeder and Dr. Evangelina Villegas, a The 2003 World Food Prize biochemist, were granted the World Food Prize Awarding Ceremony of 2000 for the effort to improve high-quality protein maize varieties for use in the poor, The 2003 World Food Prize awarding developing countries. This type of maize has ceremony took place on the evening of 16 the gene ‘opague2’ that showed higher level of October 2003 at the Iowa State Capitol essential amino acids, especially lysine and Building. There were more than 1,000 tryptophan, than normal maize. For example, dignitaries, honorable guests, and students normal maize contains about 2-3% lysine in from all over the word attended. All 17 protein, but opague2 would have about 3.8-4%. awardees, including the 2003 Laureate, This makes opague2 maize showing higher Catherine Anne Bertini, were present at the nutritional value than normal maize. It is ceremony. The Procession of Laureate began suitable for feeding animals such as swine and with the poet reading ‘In Any Language’ by chicken as well as food for human. Among Iowa Poet Laucille Wilson, read by Marco poor people in some countries, such as that in Grimaldo. After that the Governor of Iowa, Latin America where only maize is consumed Thomas J. Vilsack, delivered a Welcome as staple food, this type of maize has proved to Address. The final activity was the presentation be valuable. However, it has one weakness in of the 2003 World Food Prize by Dr. Borlaug that it has soft endosperm, which is more and Mr. John Ruan III. It was really a susceptible to stored grain insect infestation, memorable event for all of us who attended the

134 AU J.T. 7(3): 135-138 (Jan. 2004) procession, especially for those students who Swaminathan, 1987 World Food Prize came from poor countries in Africa. Laureate, Co-chair, UN Millennium Project Ms. Catherine Ann Bertini grew up in Task Force on ; and many others. Syracuse and Cortland, New York, and graduated from the State University of New Agricultural Biotechnology York in Albany. She began her career by Meeting and Visits working for Nelson Rockefeller, then the Governor of New York. Before leading the There were more than 90 people from 37 World Food Program, Undersecretary Bertini countries around the world joining this spent five years addressing critical issues in meeting. The objective of the US Grains nutrition among the poorest Americans, Council was to updating us on new particularly women and children. Ms. Bertini development of Agri-Biotech and also served in the Department of Health and Human agricultural production and trade in the US. We Services (HHS) and later as Assistant Secretary spent half of our time discussing important of Agriculture. She successfully proposed issues relating to biotechnology such as bio- modifying the law to allow states to use safety regulation and intellectual property. The Electronic Benefit Transfer Systems for food followings are a broad over view on what we stamp distribution. Using debit cards rather learned during this meeting: than coupons to distribute food stamps greatly improved the effectiveness of the program by Trade Issues decreasing fraud, simplifying the distribution There have been speculations that the US process, and ensuring that benefits reached the farmers are having production and trade persons for whom they were intended. In the problem because of government policy to ten years during 1992-2002, she led the United support biotechnology. During our visits to Nations as its Executive Director, Ms. Bertini few farms, farmer and trade associations, the transformed the from following could be summarized: primarily a development assistance organization 1. The farmers know when to use biotech into the largest and most responsible products such as GM soybean and Bt humanitarian relief organization in the world, corn. If there were only low insect delivering life-sustaining food aid to over 700 infestation forecasted, GM varieties million people in more than 100 countries. would not be used. In this way, the cost of production will be also low. World Food Prize 2. All farmers reported that biotech varieties International Symposium gave them a good benefit and they did not have any problem in selling the products. During 16-17 October 2003, there was 3. There was no problem in separating the also the “World Food Prize International GM and non-GM products if the trade Symposium” in Des Moines, Iowa. Our group partners needed to have so. But the prize had a chance to attend only half a day on 16 of non-GM will be higher (about 10%) October. The theme of the symposium was due to costs of analysis and handling. “Building Alliance to Defeat Hunger and 4. Europe has been using GM products such ”. There were many famous speakers as GM soybean imported from US and such as Dr. Peter McPherson, President, , but quite a strict regulatory Michigan State University; Chair, Board for scheme has been imposed. International Food Development, USAID; and We discussed policy matters and found Founding Co-chair, Partnership to cut Hunger that most of the countries, especially small, and Poverty in Africa; Dr. Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, developing countries, gave marketing the first Director, Human Development Office, UNDP; priority because of trade relation with developed Dr. Per Pinstrup-Andersen, 2001 World Food countries that still oppose the GM products. Prize Laureate, Chair, Expert Group on These countries still lack of facility and know- Hunger, World Economic Forum; Dr. M.S. how to deal with regulatory process and

135 AU J.T. 7(3): 135-138 (Jan. 2004) handling the products. Thus, they have to use future, corn will be an important agricultural the precautionary principle in dealing with GM raw material for industrial product development. products. This situation may also include Thailand. Concluding Remarks

The Visit to ‘Pioneer’ Thailand has been a world leader in the The group had an opportunity to visit a export of many agricultural products such as leading research company, Pioneer. During our rice, cassava, tropical fruits, chicken meat, and visit, we had learned the term ‘Genomics’. shrimp. This success has been achieved This term is not used only among molecular through a close collaboration of the public and geneticists, but also among plant breeders. Any private institutions, as well as may individuals. breeding project needs application of In many cases, Thailand had contributed to biotechnology. It includes the use of MAS, world food supplies and donations in solving molecular-assisted selection, and genetic food crisis. Such persons and or institutions engineering, leading to the GM crop could deserve to receive the “World Food development. Fig. 1 may give a better Prize”. Another way is to make a break- understanding on the scope of genomics. through contribution to the quality, quantity, or The scope of genomics covers new area availability of food through research and of research and development such as development. But a Thai researcher should be bioinformatics. It is the combination of applied more interested to serve in the field of biology, genetics, molecular genetics, and international agricultural development such as computer in arranging information from in working with the United Nations agencies genome sequencing, gene discovery, and and the International Agricultural Research sequencing as well as molecular marker Centers. development. ‘Pioneer’ has built large database Most of Thai people love to live and for use in corn breeding. Many new corn work in and for the country. Since the world is varieties, resistant to diseases and insects, high changing and more freely exchange of trade protein, high quality starch, etc., have been and technologies, Thai people should adapt to under development. It was interesting to learn this development. It is now time for helping the that many states in the US are now producing country improving its creditabilty through ethanol from corn to use in mixing with reaching the “ World Food Prize” or even the gasoline to improve the environment. In the “Nobel Prize”.

Fig. 1. The scope of genomics applied in crop breeding at Pioneer (Technical Paper: Plant Genetic Using Genomics in Research, 1999). Note: EST = Expressed Sequence Tag

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