Director-General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Dr. Pinstrup-Andersen, a native of Denmark, is the recipient of The 2001 World Food Prize, recognized for his contribution to agricultural research, food policy and uplifting the status of the poor and starving citizens of the world. He has served as Director-General of IFPRI since 1992. He will outline his Vision 2020 Program to reduce world hunger in the new millennium. Dr. Pinstrup-Andersen will also discuss a theme from new book, “Seeds of Contention,” which addresses the issues of whether biotechnology and genetically modified crops are essential to countering hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. Dr. Pinstrup-Andersen argues that our assessment of biotechnology must take into consideration the fact that it may help poor farmers in developing countries grow greater quantities of more nutritious food.