Tokyo, Japan
September 28, 2004
Progress being made on acceptance, new
applications of biotechnology
DuPont
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Charles O. Holliday, Jr.,
today said significant progress has been made in demonstrating
the benefits of biotechnology, in its acceptance, and in the
advancement of new and exciting products the technology is
making possible.
"We can now say that biotech has been established
as one tool, among many, for feeding the world sustainably — a
tool that producers and consumers around the world will
increasingly depend on," Holliday said, speaking at Asia's
largest biotechnology conference, BioJapan 2004.
He noted that plant biotechnology has been
adopted faster than any other technology in the history of
agriculture. In eight years, farmers in the United States have
converted 81 percent of soybeans, 73 percent of cotton, and 40
percent of corn to biotech varieties. The amount of biotech
crops planted globally is increasing every year with the fastest
growth coming outside North America.
"Companies can't drive that kind of adoption. It
occurs because people see the value," Holliday said.
The value goes well beyond the farmers who choose
to grow the crops. Holliday said that many overlook the
importance of productivity improvements that biotechnology is
helping sustain. "Where would we be today, if in 1950 someone
had decided we had enough grain in the world and we had stopped
investing in improved genetics?" he asked.
"Since 1980, the world's corn growers have
increased their production by 45 percent and done it on less
than a 5 percent increase in acres. In effect, we've added 130
million 'virtual' acres by improving corn genetics, technology,
and management practices. Think of the impact on our world if we
did not have those 130 million 'virtual' acres," Holliday said.
Both large and small farmers are using
biotechnology today to grow more while reducing the spraying
they need to do, Holliday said. And there are many other
benefits on the horizon.
Biotechnology is allowing DuPont to develop
products like drought resistant crops, bio-fuels and
biomaterials, Holliday said. The benefits in industrial
applications could far outstrip the contribution of
biotechnology to medicine and agriculture.
"We are working to create new manufacturing
platforms based on biotechnology that significantly lower cost
and investment or offer an improved environmental performance,"
said Holliday. "We are solving problems that cannot be solved by
existing approaches."
Holliday acknowledged that the technology is not
without its critics and challenges. But he said DuPont continues
to be committed to pursuing the promise of biotechnology for its
customers in a careful and transparent manner. "We understand
that continued open and transparent dialogue with consumers and
governments will be necessary for this tool – biotechnology – to
achieve its maximum utility," he said.
The company formed an external global
Biotechnology Advisory Panel in 2000, which helped the company
create its Bioethics Guiding Principles. The DuPont
Biotechnology Advisory Panel is in the process of completing its
second independent report on DuPont and its application of
biotechnology. A listing of advisory panel members, their
reports, and the DuPont Bioethics Guiding Principles, and
extensive information on its biotech products are available at
www.dupont.com/biotech.
"We are convinced that biotechnology can and is
being employed successfully and safely to the benefit of people
everywhere," Holliday said. "It will make great contributions to
meeting human needs in the 21st century."
DuPont is a science company. Founded in 1802,
DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions
essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people
everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a
wide range of innovative products and services for markets
including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications,
safety and protection, home and construction, transportation,
and apparel.
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Full text of the Holliday remarks prepared for delivery at
BioJapan 2004. |