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Nobel Laureate Dr. James Watson - one of the most influential researchers in
the field of genetics - expounds on his support for applications of
recombinant DNA technology in agriculture in a brief and exclusive video
made available today at the Conversations about Plant Biotechnology Web
site: www.monsanto.com/biotech-gmo/. January 2007.

"I believe in technology. It improves things. I believe in progress. I
don't believe, you know, in living in the past. Agriculture today is better
than it was 50 years ago. Farming is easier," says Dr. Watson, who, along
with Francis Crick, discovered the code for the double helix structure of
DNA, for which they received the Nobel Prize in 1962. This discovery made
possible the application of recombinant DNA techniques used today in
biotechnology.

Recombinant DNA technology is the technique of isolating a gene and
inserting it into the DNA of another organism. The first commercial
application of recombinant DNA technology was in 1982, when researchers
produced human insulin for the treatment of diabetes. By the early 1990s,
researchers could successfully transfer a gene that codes for a specific
protein that produces a desirable trait - such as disease protection - in a
plant.

"So recombinant DNA and plants is a way of having a more rational,
dependable agriculture. ... Farmers having a better life and wanting to stay
on the farm," continues Dr. Watson. "I think many people just want to make
things better. It's part of human nature. You want to have a better
agriculture. ... More income for farmers. More dependable farming. Cheaper
food. ... All which can be produced through biotechnology."

In addition to Dr. Watson's video, visitors to the Conversations about Plant
Biotechnology Web site can view conversations with fellow Nobel Laureate Dr.
Norman Borlaug, as well as renowned economist Dr. Jeffrey Sachs.
Conversations about Plant Biotechnology is designed to give a voice and a
face to the farmers and families who grow biotech crops and the experts who
research and study the technology. The Web site contains more than 50, two-
to three-minute, extremely candid, straightforward and compelling video
segments with the people who know the technology best. The Web site is
hosted by Monsanto Company - a leading global provider of technology-based
solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food
quality.

www.checkbiotech.org