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Festivals in Thailand are dignified and beautiful occasions which reveal the people's love of beauty and ritual. Here's some of the most fascinating Thai festivals - Songkran and the Vegetarian Festival held in Phuket.
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New Today: 1 Last 30 Days: 477 Total Published: 8,930 Total Pending: 166 Contributing Authors: 2,615 Article Views: 4,901,856
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Articles » Reference & Education » Science » An Icon of Agricultural Biotechnology is Honored
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- Article Views: 713
- Word Count: 458
- Date Contributed: Dec 11, 2006
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| An Icon of Agricultural Biotechnology is Honored |
The U.S. Congress has honored agriculturalist Dr. Norman Borlaug for his work in plant genetics. The Congressional Gold Medal Award awarded last week to Dr. Borlaug, now a professor of international agriculture at the Texas A&M University, is considered to be the highest and most coveted civilian award in the U.S.
Past recipients of the award include Martin Luther King Jr., John Paul II, and President Reagan. Congress specifically cited Dr. Borlaug for his tireless efforts to improve agriculture in poor countries.
The U.S. Congress’ recognition of Dr. Borlaug is a well-deserved gesture to a man credited with using agriculture to alleviate the suffering of millions of hunger-stricken people all over the world.
Through modern agricultural technologies such as biotechnology, Dr. Borlaug has changed the face of agriculture in many developing countries.
Dr. Borlaug is a courageous and determined scientist. His occasional run-ins with opponents of genetically modified foods attest to his determination to ensure that new agricultural technologies benefit the most vulnerable in the society. In his steel-like spirit, Dr. Borlaug has, and continues to battle anti-technology activists, most of whom have pitched tents in the developing world to mislead farmers and policy makers about genetically modified foods. He is on record having challenged anti-biotechnology activists to tell the world how many tones of food they have produced for the dying and poor in developing countries.
Dr. Borlaug has been a staunch advocate of genetically modified foods in the face of a well-orchestrated campaign by anti-technology activists to cast them as unsafe for human consumption and the environment. Dr. Borlaug continues to encourage developing countries to embrace modern agricultural biotechnology, as a way of enhancing food security.
Dr. Borlaug has always been a practical man. Nobody can underestimate his achievements. In the 1960s, he pioneered the Green Revolution, a transformation of agriculture in developing countries that led to significant increase in agricultural production in countries such as India and Pakistan. These countries, thanks to Dr. Borlaug, can feed their people, and afford surplus for export.
Lately, Dr. Borlaug has been involved in the Global 2000 Africa Project, an initiative to help Africa feed itself, through innovative technologies such as biotechnology. This is a noble project aimed at extricating Africa from the yokes of poverty. Dr. Borlaug wishes Africa well. Africa has no other alternative but to listen to him. For example, when Dr. Borlaug says genetically modified crops hold the key to Africa’s food problems, he means it. As a seasoned scientist, Dr. Borlaug can’t prescribe a technology that would do more harm than good to the poor.
Long live Dr. Borlaug. You’re the mirror through which the whole world sees its future.
James Wachai is a communication expert, specializing in agricultural issues, and also authors GMO Africa Blog. On the web at http://www.gmoafrica.org/
Article Source: UnArchived Articles
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