The Science in Our Food | Dr. Jim Carrington | TEDxGatewayArch

Jim speaks on the benefits science has allowed for in the advancements in growing food. He suggests that global changes will create a need for us to leave romantic visions of farming in our past. With exploding population growth and climate change, we are at an important cross roads.

Jim Carrington is president of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, a St. Louis-based non-profit organization that focuses scientific research and innovation at the nexus of food security and the environment. Jim leads the Danforth Center in delivering on its mission is to improve the human condition through plant science. With nearly 250 employees, the Danforth Center is the largest independent plant science institute in the world.

[lynnereuber]

This is a great perspective on the role of technology in modern agriculture and its potential to do even more.

[Lalaleeya]

Jim personifies the human and humane approach to food and environmental security. Learn from Plants: This is my approach after working in Danforth Plant Science center on an accidental project: Defensin. Being a pharmaceutical scientist dealing with cancer therapy for 25 years, getting two FDA approved drugs, I still wondering why there is no romantic relationship between Farm and Pharm! Nevertheless, when I applied what I learnt from Plants to cancer research, it resulted in 250 K SBIR grant, and a new romance started for me. So, my first slide of my talk is "Plants do not go to Doctors because they produce their own therapeutic proteins to ward off diseases". They live under much more harsher conditions compared to protected humans. Imagine surviving under cold, windy, chilly and drought conditions with all sorts of viral and fungal attack!! They still survive longer than humans!! Learn from Plants.