Can biotechnology help fight world hunger?

I just found the transcript to forum from over nine years ago.  This seems like good reading in preparation for the panel discussion next week.  It's also good reading for anyone else who may be interested in the broader topic.

Here's the lineup:

CONGRESSIONAL HUNGER CENTER BIOTECH BRIEFING

Congressional Hunger Center
The Gold Room, 2168 Rayburn House Office Building, Capitol Hill
June 29, 2000 9am-12pm

For pdf version, click here.

09:00 - 09:30	Introduction: Rev. David Beckmann, Moderator President, Bread for the World, Congressional Hunger Center Board Member
	Opening Remarks:
	Rep. Tony Hall
	Sen. Richard Lugar
	Rep. Robert Ehrlich, Jr.
	Rep. Dennis Kucinich
09:30 - 10:20	Presenters (Each presenter will speak for 10 minutes):
	Dr. Martina McGloughlin, Professor, University of California at Davis
	Dr. Vandana Shiva, Director, Foundation for Science, Tech, and Natural Resources
	Dr. C.S. Prakash, Professor, Tuskegee University
	Dr. Mae-Wan Ho, Reader in Biology, Open University, United Kingdom
10:20 - 10:30	Questions and Answers Session I
10:30 - 11.40	Challengers:
	Ms. Therese St. Peter, Specialist, Zeneca Ag Products, Inc.
	Dr. Michael Hansen, Research Associate, Consumers Union Policy Institute
	Dr. Per Pinstrup-Andersen, Director, International Food Policy Research Institute
	Dr. Arthur Getz, Specialist, World Resources Institute
	Dr. Peggy Lemaux, Professor, University of California at Berkeley
	Mr. Michael Pollan, Contributing Writer, New York Times
11.40 - 11.50	Questions and Answers Session II
11:50 - 12:00	Concluding Remarks: Rev. David Beckmann

Here's a link to the whole transcript.

Update:  Here's more good background reading:  Lester Brown writing for Scientific American frames the essential issues very well. I'm much more wary of Brown's policy prescriptions, his "Plan B."  Some of his suggestions could make matters worse.  It's strange to me that he can outline the fundamental problems so clearly but not suggest policy solutions that target the root source of those problems.