For Immediate Release – Contact Dr. Ana Lita at (212) 687-3324
alita@americanhumanist.org or anaeugenlita@aol.com – http://www.humanistbioethics.org/

(New York, New York, May 26, 2009) On Friday, May 22 and Saturday, May 23, the Appignani Bioethics Center, in collaboration with the University of Montreal, Bioethics Programs, held a conference titled Food, Famine and Future Technologies: Ethical Dilemmas in a Hungry World. The event featured a range of experts on science, ethics and policy who explored the ethical issues involved in applying biotechnology to agriculture as a method to reduce poverty and hunger.

“This panel brought together some brilliant minds to share ideas, research, teachings and arguments related to such fundamental questions as, how do we feed and continue to feed the world?” said Dr. Ana Lita, director of the Appignani Bioethics Center. “Is biotechnology a viable way to reduce hunger and poverty? Can we afford not to take advantage of such innovations as genetically modified food even while there are still real concerns about the their safety?”

Panels explored genomics research in agriculture, developments of sustainable nutrition for growing populations, environmental safety and sustainability, lessons learned from genetically modified organisms for health and development, and how to benefit human health and the food supply using genomic crops, among other topics.

Panelists included a variety of noted scholars, representatives of international organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and some NGOs who took a broad and cross-disciplinary approach to addressing such issues. For a full list of panelists and more information about the event please visit the Appignani Bioethics Center website: http://humanistbioethics.org/appignani-upcoming-events.html.  Video of the event will be made available in the coming days.

The event was held at the Church Center for the United Nations.

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The Appignani Bioethics Center (ABC), a project of the American Humanist Association, is a think tank providing timely research and analysis of bioethical challenges facing the national and international community. The Center helps inform local, state, national and international policy debates on global issues in medical and biotechnological sciences through collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and United Nations departments, bodies and agencies. The Center sponsors scholarly endeavors dedicated to preventive medicine and provides educational venues and opportunities for confronting various medical issues facing developing world countries.

Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism, affirms our responsibility to lead ethical lives of value to self and humanity.