I want to highlight a lecture recently given by one of the most influential scientists in the international debate on GMOs and gene editing in agriculture. Born in India, C. S. Prakash lives and works in the U.S. and has been elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). His lecture, delivered at the AAAS Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues, traces the progress made over the past sixty years in the field of global food security—i.e., meeting the growing demand for food from the world’s population.

I highly recommend watching it (starting at minute 11), especially for the graphs that visually illustrate in a highly effective way the achievements so far and the challenges still to be overcome to continue producing what is needed in the most sustainable way for the planet. I also suggest listening to the final panel discussion (starting at minute 43), moderated by botanist Lisa Ainsworth, with the participation of Anastasia Bodnar (biotech policy analyst) and Kate Tully (professor of agroecology). Among the most interesting questions posed to them and to Prakash:

1. What has been the most revolutionary innovation in agriculture that you have witnessed in your lifetime? (Genetic modification / genome sequencing / remote sensing)
2. Going back to the start of the Green Revolution, what would you do differently if you had all the knowledge you have today? (Answers in short: working on a larger variety of crops and not being only productivity-focused/ applying an agroecological approach)
3. If you could go back to the early ‘90s before GMOs were released, knowing what you know today and the response to it, what would you do differently? (Developing more consumer-oriented treats useful in people’s kitchen)
4. How do you encourage STEM-minded students to pursue agricultural sciences instead of tech or another lucrative endeavor? (Bringing some education related to food and farming earlier in school / communicating how hitech is the field today, involving innovations from genetics to drones to precision agriculture / emphasizing climate change as a motivating factor)