Ismail Serageldin delivered today a sweeping lecture on the challenges of food security and the role of science in meeting the challenges of food production, environmental protection and poverty reduction. He emphasized the need for a science based approach to precision farming using the best eco-agronomic techniques and the best of cutting edge science in genetics. He specifically sought a marriage of traditional wisdom and the best of the new biology. The lecture was attended by over 200 scientists and was very well received.
At the end of the lecture, Serageldin was awarded a special plaque from the minister of Agriculture of Iran, honoring his efforts on behalf of agriculture for the poor.