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Protests interrupt start of World Food Prize week

Protestors interrupted the beginning of a World Food Prize panel discussion featuring five former USDA Ag Secretaries Monday morning.

 

Anti-GMO chants broke out inside the downtown Des Moines Marriott Ballroom as Tom Vilsack began his moderating duties for a program on food insecurity.

Dan Glickman, USDA ag secretary from 1995 to 2001, told reporters afterwards people care deeply about their food.

“The protesters today were fine, it’s the American thing to do.  They ultimately did get out, thank goodness. I didn’t know what was going to happen if they were going to stay there forever.  It shows you the GMO debate hasn’t really changed all that much, although I think the scientific debate is much more settled today.”

The activists also held up a banner in front of the panelists reading “corporate food does not equal charities and justice.”

Ed Schafer, ag secretary in 2008 and 2009, suggested the message was more about corporate greed than biotechnology.

“Instead of a focus on (asking about) how to grow and raise nutrition in the United States of America today to do a better job.  And that’s a discussion that will continue.”

Schafer’s predecessor Mike Johanns referred to Dr. Norman Borlaug, who supported organic food production but also spoke of the need for science to feed the world.

“If you’re really going to have an impact on changing world hunger, a piece of this is scientific.”

The panel also featured Ann Veneman, ag secretary from 2001 to 2005.