Rudy Rabbinge
Professor in Sustainable Development and Food Security, Wageningen University
Keynote: Genomics Impact for Society
The Netherlands Genomics Initiative has had an impressive effect on the scientific output of genomics related disciplines. The impact of this scientific effort is visible in all fields of biotechnology, the red, green, double green and white.
The possibilities to achieve considerable more impact are limited in especially the green biotechnology by moratoria on GMO’s in food crops. Fortunately the majority of biotechnological possibilities is not hindered. In red, green and white biotechnology use of GMO’s is readily accepted but that is not the case in food crops. It would be wise to have a more balanced policy where food and non-food crops are considered in a different way.
Profile
Dr Rudy Rabbinge is University Professor in Sustainable Development and Food Security at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
He is a former member of the Senate of the Netherlands Parliament and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Institute of the Tropics.
Rabbinge has led various missions and agricultural programs in developing countries and served as editor of several journals. He was a chair of the board of trustees of two CGIAR centers and co-chair of the Inter-Academy Panel on Food Security and Agricultural Productivity in Africa. He is also a member of the board of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and chairman of the Council for Earth and Life Sciences of the Royal Academy of Sciences. He formerly served as deputy chairman of the IFDC board and chairman of the Science Council of the CGIAR.
Rabbinge also serves on the boards of various international agribusiness firms. He holds degrees in phytopathology, entomology, theoretical production ecology and philosophy of science from Wageningen Agricultural University. He is also a member of the High Level Panel of Experts of the CFS of the United Nations.
