BY
AMANDA STEPHENSON, CALGARY HERALD
Just
before being "white hatted" by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce on
Friday, Bayer CropScience CEO Sandra Peterson had one more thing to say to her
Alberta audience.
Peterson,
widely regarded as one of the top female executives in the world, said she
understands the role oil and gas plays in Alberta's economy, and admires the
innovations the province has made in those fields.
But
she said as vital as the energy sector is for the future of human development,
her own industry is just as crucial.
"I'd
ask you to remember that agriculture is as important as fuel and as high-tech
as fuel," Peterson said.
Bayer
CropScience, which boasted sales of $50 billion in 2011, is an international
company specializing in agricultural innovations such as crop protection, seed
development, biotechnology and pest control. Headquartered in Monheim, Germany,
its Canadian division is based in Calgary and employs more than 250 people.
Peterson,
who has headed up the company since 2010, said she views Bayer CropScience's
work as critical to the future of the planet. The UN predicts that the world's
population will surpass nine billion by 2050, and it is estimated global
agricultural production will need to double within the next 30 years in order
to feed all those people.
That
won't be done through organic farming, Peterson said, taking direct aim at
critics who want to see the agriculture industry embrace more traditional
methods. Instead, Peterson said it will be done through technology - by
developing farming methods that are more efficient, that use less water and
produce higher yields.
It
will also be done by supporting small-scale farmers in developing countries,
who have typically not had access to advances in agricultural technology but
represent a major portion of the world's food producers. In India, for example,
there are 90 million small-scale farmers who farm five acres of land or less.
"We'll
have to pay much more attention to small-hold, local farmers around the
world," Peterson said.
"Our
small-scale farmers around the globe are hindered by a lack of seeds, lack of
equipment, lack of know-how, and lack of technology."
©
Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
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