ST. LOUIS — Science teachers have a crucial role in increasing the understanding of new scientific technologies and this understanding is the key to achieving benefits for human health, the world's food supply and the environment, a Monsanto executive told attendees at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA).
"What science teachers do every day in their classrooms will make a huge difference in poverty, disease and hunger for hundreds of millions of people around the world, as well as for environmental improvement and protection," said Kathryn Kissam, Director of Public Affairs for Monsanto, in remarks prepared for a dinner for science teachers attending the NSTA convention in St. Louis.
"You make a difference with the students you inspire and encourage to pursue careers in the sciences, and also play an integral role in helping create a broad understanding of science by those who don't pursue scientific careers," Kissam said. "That's the vast majority of the population, and by far the larger number of students who come to your classrooms."
"As the societal understanding of the sciences is strengthen, people in all professional fields will be better equipped to support those students who bring us the next generation of scientific advances," said Kissam.
Kissam, who serves on Monsanto's Biotechnology Policy Committee, cited biotechnology as a "textbook example" of what happens when a science holds tremendous potential for solving problems, but is slowed down by a lack of understanding and engagement. "This lack of understanding is by both opponents and proponents of the technology," she said.
Monsanto, she said, was so focused on getting the technology right for its customers that it didn't fully consider the concerns biotechnology raised for other stakeholders. "We were committed to doing great things," she said. "However, many other people didn't understand our passion and believed we were making some mistakes."
To begin responding to public concerns, Kissam said, Monsanto's President and Chief Executive Officer Hendrik Verfaillie announced the New Monsanto Pledge, a statement of five principles and commitments the company was undertaking in regard to biotechnology. These principles include:
"The New Monsanto Pledge is not a statement for scientists," Kissam said, who understand the promise and limitations of biotechnology. "Instead, it embraces the concerns for all non-scientists who have come through and will continue to come through your classrooms, and classrooms like yours around the world."
She pointed to several areas where teachers can help their students understand science and its safe application to human needs. These include talking with and listening to each other's concerns and issues; the need for openness and a sound regulatory framework; the understanding of the challenges that science can pose to people's religious, cultural and ethical concerns; working together to address the fundamental problems afflicting so many of the world's people; and bringing the benefits of science to consumers, and bringing them safely.
Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality. For more information on Monsanto, see www.monsanto.com.
For a full-text version of the New Monsanto Pledge and for additional information about the commitments made through the Pledge, please visit: http://www.monsanto.com.
Contact:
Bryan Hurley
314-694-8387
source: http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/media/01/01mar23_nsta_speech.htm
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