Plant Pathology and World Food Problems

PLANT PATHOLOGY AND WORLD FOOD PROBLEMS* J. GEORGE HARRARÌ This seems a fitting moment in history to convene an international congress ofphytopathology. Such a gathering emphasizes the international character of our discipline and demonstrates a general recognition that problems of plant protection are worldwide and concern all of society. Furthermore, the place chosen for these meetings and the backgrounds of the participants are clear indications of our awareness that education and research are universal, and ofour desire to work with others in placing our experience and abilities at the service ofmankind. Man has sought constantly to improve the quality oflife on this planet, and our craft can claim a constructive role in this effort over more than a century. From a material point ofview, man has made incredible progress in conquering his environment and extracting from it substances that in their transformation have supported the evolution ofmodern technology in the service of society. Culturally, man has greatly enriched his life by advances in education and by the arts ofmusic, literature, drama, painting, sculpture, and architecture. It would, however, be irresponsible at this moment not to mention those areas in which our civilization has a record ofrepeated failures. I refer, ofcourse, to man's propensity to indulge in conflict with his kind. War in some guise is as ancient as human society itself, and as a behavioral phenomenon in its highly mechanized and institutionalized form, it is peculiar to man. Wars have been fought for many reasons, including differences ofrace or religion, the determination to escape from tyranny, ideological disputes, naked lust for power, and the pursuit of glory. In spite ofall the terrible tragedies ofdestruction, loss oflife, and * Discourse givenJuly i6, 1968 before the First International Congress ofPlant Pathology, London . Reprinted here with permission ofThe Rockefeller Foundation. t President, The Rockefeller Foundation, m West 50th Street, New York, New York 10020. 583 suffering brought about by past wars and in spite ofall its clearly visible threats to civilization in the future, we seem not yet to be convinced ofthe absolute necessity for universal respect for human life and for intelligent rather than violent resolution ofdifferences and issues. Notlong ago, many people believed that enduring peace would come when the instruments of war were made so horrifying that no nation would dare to use them. But wenow know this to be a rude fallacy. We have such weapons, and yet we still have wars. We do know that there are certain environmental factors that by themselves may not cause wars, yet that may exacerbate a conflict situation and thus serve as war accelerators. These include hunger, poverty, disease, ignorance, social and cultural deprivation, and overpopulation. It is alarming to note that during the last 20 years there have been 97 outbreaks of armed conflict, and that the overwhelming majority ofthese occurred in areas where the per capita income was less than $300 a year. People living in a state ofchronic misery inevitably become more and more resentful of their condition as they recognize the wide and glaring differences between themselves and the more affluent members of society. As a consequence, they may grow impatient and become likely converts for any ideology that appears to offer them panaceas for a quick transformation to a better way oflife. Frequently, this intensifies political instability and sets the scene for outbreaks of violence and conflicts of all kinds. How much better it would be ifmankind could sublimate what appears to be a natural inclination to wage war into a universal desire to attack the root causes ofhuman disadvantage, which constitute an ever-present threat that conflagrations may break out anywhere. This would involve an integrated approach to the problems of ill health and disease, malnutrition and hunger, poverty, ignorance, racism, crime, and the other social ills of humanity. Such "wars" would be constructive and humanitarian and could contribute mightily to the possibility of peace in the foreseeable future. We who are here gathered in conclave have dual responsibilities: first, as national and world citizens; second, as scientists and educators endeavoring to contribute to a particular body ofknowledge and working to ensure that that knowledge is applied to useful purposes in behalfofmankind. None ofus can expect...