Monsanto offers plan to increase food supply

Biotechnology transnational corporation Monsanto pledged last week to develop seeds that would double the yields of corn, soybeans and cotton by 2030 and would require 30 percent less water, land and energy to grow. The announcement appeared to be aimed, at least in part, at winning acceptance of genetically modified crops by showing that they can play a major role in feeding the world. Much of what is in the commitment are things the company was doing anyway, though it now becomes a formal goal. Monsanto said it had developed its new commitment after consulting farmers, political leaders, academics and advocacy groups as to what needed to be done to increase food production to cope with a rising population and the demand for biofuels without converting more forests into farmland.Full story: New York Times