Writer for Rural Strategies' Daily Yonder part of national panel on poverty and genetically modified crops

Richard Oswald, author of the "Letter from Langdon" feature on the Center for Rural Strategies' Daily Yonder, was part of a panel discussion in Washington D.C. examining whether biotechnology is helpful to poor farmers.

Richard is a Missouri farmer and president of the Missouri Farmers Union. He has been writing regular reports on the culture, politics, and economics of family farmers for the Daily Yonder since the website began publication in 2007.

The panel was "Is Biotechnology Relevant for Poor Farmers? Why GM [genetically modified] Crops May Fail to Reduce Poverty."  Presenters discussed a new book that examines the impact of biotechnology on developing nations.

Other members of the panel were the book's editor and lead researcher, Robert Tripp; Larry Beach, senior biotechnology advisor to U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); and Anuradha Mittal, executive director of the Oakland Institute. The moderator was Kimberly Pfeifer, head of research for Oxfam America.

Supporters of biotechnology say it offers one of the best hopes for increasing agricultural production and reducing rural poverty, while opponents see it as an untested intervention that will bring corporate control of peasant farming, according to a press release from Oxfam America, sponsor of the event.

The Daily Yonder is an independent news site published by the Center for Rural Strategies. The site covers rural news and issues.