--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A decade ago, critics suggested biotech…" description: "\"A decade ago, critics suggested biotech crops would not be valuable in the developing world. Now 90 percent of farmers who benefit are resource-poor fa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/clive-james-2750_alleviate_a-decade-ago-critics-suggested-biotech-c_1640303.png" --- # A decade ago, critics suggested biotech crops would not be… ![“A decade ago, critics suggested biotech crops would not be valuable in the developing world. Now 90 percent of farmers who benefit are resource-poor farmers in developing countries. These helped alleviate 7.7 million subsistence farmers in China, India, South Africa, the Philippines from abject…” quote by Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/clive-james-2750_alleviate_a-decade-ago-critics-suggested-biotech-c_1640303.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/clive-james-2750_alleviate_a-decade-ago-critics-suggested-biotech-c_1640303.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/clive-james-2750_alleviate_a-decade-ago-critics-suggested-biotech-c_1640303.png) > “A decade ago, critics suggested biotech crops would not be valuable in the developing world. Now 90 percent of farmers who benefit are resource-poor farmers in developing countries. These helped alleviate 7.7 million subsistence farmers in China, India, South Africa, the Philippines from abject poverty.” [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Biotech crops have proven valuable for poor farmers, reducing poverty. **In simple terms:** Crops help poor farmers. Key Takeaway Support biotech adoption in low‑income regions. Themes agriculture poverty reduction technology Mood optimistic analytical Type informative persuasive When to use this quote - rural development - policy making - NGO programs Key Concepts sustainable development food security Questions to Reflect On - What are the long‑term impacts? - How can we ensure equitable access? A Different Perspective Biotech may have ecological risks and market dependencies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alleviate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alleviate/) [Benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) [Biotech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biotech/) [Biotech Crops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biotech-crops-561094/) [China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Critics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critics/) [Crops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crops/) [Crops Valuable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crops-valuable-561096/) [Decades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decades/) [Developing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developing/) [Developing countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developing-countries/) [Developing world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developing-world/) [Farmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farmers/) [Genetically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genetically/) [India](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/india/) [Millions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millions/) [Percent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percent/) [Philippines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philippines/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Resources](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resources/) [South](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/south/) [South africa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/south-africa/) [Subsistence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subsistence/) [Subsistence Farmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subsistence-farmers-561095/) [Valuable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/valuable/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Biotech crops are not a solution to solve hunger in Africa or elsewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnimmo-bassey/biotech-crops-are-not-a-solution-to-solve-hunger-in-africa-or/) [Nnimmo Bassey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnimmo-bassey/) > [We recognize that the majority of people who are food-insecure or hungry in the world live in rural areas. And most of them are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ertharin-cousin/we-recognize-that-the-majority-of-people-who-are-food-insecure-or/) [Ertharin Cousin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ertharin-cousin/) > [In the developing world, it's about time that women are on the agenda. For instance, 80 percent of small-subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melinda-gates/in-the-developing-world-it-s-about-time-that-women-are-on-the-agenda/) [Melinda Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melinda-gates/) > [I see all kinds of people work hard all over the world, and some of them are barely making it. I don't just mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/i-see-all-kinds-of-people-work-hard-all-over-the-world-and-some-of/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [Business, life itself, is damned hard work if you wanna be good at it. Actually, that's precisely wrong. Business ceases to be work when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/business-life-itself-is-damned-hard-work-if-you-wanna-be-good-at-it/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Biotech 1.0 is slow, like a lab science, and Version 2.0 is more like computational sciences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jurvetson/biotech-1-0-is-slow-like-a-lab-science-and-version-2-0-is-more-like/) [Steve Jurvetson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jurvetson/) > [Hype tends to precede the reality in biotech, but the reality does follow. Usually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arvind-gupta/hype-tends-to-precede-the-reality-in-biotech-but-the-reality-does/) [Arvind Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arvind-gupta/) > [I'm an investor in a number of biotech companies, partly because of my incredible enthusiasm for the great innovations they will bring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/i-m-an-investor-in-a-number-of-biotech-companies-partly-because-of-my/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Biotech and geo engineering have the same mindset, of engineering, of power, of control, of mastery of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vandana-shiva/biotech-and-geo-engineering-have-the-same-mindset-of-engineering-of/) [Vandana Shiva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vandana-shiva/) > [I don't think that a mutual fund that invests exclusively in biotech start-ups or invests exclusively in companies in Thailand offers any great safety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-chernow/i-don-t-think-that-a-mutual-fund-that-invests-exclusively-in-biotech/) [Ron Chernow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-chernow/) > [The 1st Congressional District contains almost half of the biotech and biomedical companies in Washington, and my job often allows me to meet the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-inslee/the-1st-congressional-district-contains-almost-half-of-the-biotech/) [Jay Inslee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-inslee/) > [At this moment, glyphosate is the biggest threat. And because of its overuse, we are seeing the emergence of superweeds, which have grown resistant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-lister-jones/at-this-moment-glyphosate-is-the-biggest-threat-and-because-of-its/) [Zoe Lister-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-lister-jones/) > [Martha Stewart denied allegations that she had been given inside information to sell 4,000 shares of a stock in a biotech firm. Stewart then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/martha-stewart-denied-allegations-that-she-had-been-given-inside/) [Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/) > [Prince William County has emerged as a hub for the life sciences industry, offering the infrastructure, R&D assets, and talent to attract and retain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-youngkin/prince-william-county-has-emerged-as-a-hub-for-the-life-sciences/) [Glenn Youngkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-youngkin/) > [In the biotech revolution, it is the human body, not iron or steel or plastic, that's at the source. Are the biocapitalists going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/in-the-biotech-revolution-it-is-the-human-body-not-iron-or-steel-or/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) ## More by Clive James > [Arnold Schwarzenegger looks like a brown condom full of walnuts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/arnold-schwarzenegger-looks-like-a-brown-condom-full-of-walnuts/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [My wife spoke perfect Italian and she was very beautiful and very suave Italian men were crowding around her, talking all the time and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/my-wife-spoke-perfect-italian-and-she-was-very-beautiful-and-very/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [The streets, at least in this part of town, seemed impossibly clean in comparison to London. The public telephones were unvandalised. For a London…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/the-streets-at-least-in-this-part-of-town-seemed-impossibly-clean-in/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [In London there was no home cooking worthy of the name. When you were in funds you ate out. But only the people whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/in-london-there-was-no-home-cooking-worthy-of-the-name-when-you-were/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [Generally it is our failures that civilize us. Triumph confirms us in our habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/generally-it-is-our-failures-that-civilize-us-triumph-confirms-us-in/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [I try to be specific. One thought at a time. Clear. Articulate. And above all, memorable, if you can be. You'd like to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/i-try-to-be-specific-one-thought-at-a-time-clear-articulate-and-above/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [Pound had argued - and Eliot had helped him prove - that a poem could be sustained by memorable moments. Olson proved that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/pound-had-argued-and-eliot-had-helped-him-prove-that-a-poem-could-be/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [A luxury liner is really just a bad play surrounded by water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/a-luxury-liner-is-really-just-a-bad-play-surrounded-by-water/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [One way or another, all the poets of the thirties and forties reacted to Auden, either by rejecting him or trying to absorb him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/one-way-or-another-all-the-poets-of-the-thirties-and-forties-reacted/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [Little books are the things to write at my age, I've decided. Avoid the big ones, go for the little ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/little-books-are-the-things-to-write-at-my-age-i-ve-decided-avoid-the/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [“Too many of my friends are dead, and others wrecked By various diseases of the intellect Or failing body. How am I still upright?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/too-many-of-my-friends-are-dead-and-others-wrecked-by-various/) [clive james](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [A sceptic finds Dallas absurd. A cynic thinks the public doesn't](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/a-sceptic-finds-dallas-absurd-a-cynic-thinks-the-public-doesn-t/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [The Canadian version of Julius Caesar's memoirs? I came, I saw, I coped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/the-canadian-version-of-julius-caesar-s-memoirs-i-came-i-saw-i-coped/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [“Rilke used to say that no poet would mind going to gaol, since he would at least have time to explore the treasure house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/rilke-used-to-say-that-no-poet-would-mind-going-to-gaol-since-he/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [The thing about making a documentary in Las Vegas is there isn't much to film apart from other people making documentaries about Las Vegas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/the-thing-about-making-a-documentary-in-las-vegas-is-there-isn-t-much/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) [Explore all 151 Clive James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) ## More Alleviate quotes > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [How the American right managed to convince itself that the programs to alleviate poverty are responsible for the consequences of poverty will someday be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/how-the-american-right-managed-to-convince-itself-that-the-programs/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [I early conceived a liking for, and sought every opportunity to relieve the sufferings of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-lee-crumpler/i-early-conceived-a-liking-for-and-sought-every-opportunity-to/) [Rebecca Lee Crumpler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-lee-crumpler/) > [I don't think happiness is necessarily the reason we're here. I think we're here to learn and evolve, and the pursuit of knowledge is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sting/i-don-t-think-happiness-is-necessarily-the-reason-we-re-here-i-think/) [Sting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sting/) > [I believe that the war on drugs is a tragically misplaced use of resources - an immoral venture that produces far more suffering than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harsanyi/i-believe-that-the-war-on-drugs-is-a-tragically-misplaced-use-of/) [David Harsanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harsanyi/) > [We are at the point in time and terror where nothing short of a strong uniform policy of domestic disarmament will alleviate the danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-v-murphy/we-are-at-the-point-in-time-and-terror-where-nothing-short-of-a/) [Patrick V. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-v-murphy/) > [In all things preserve integrity; and the consciousness of your own uprightness will alleviate the toil of business, soften the hardness of ill-success and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babe-paley/in-all-things-preserve-integrity-and-the-consciousness-of-your-own/) [Babe Paley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babe-paley/) > [ The next most dangerous thing \[after nuclear proliferation\] is probably... global warming, and then, right behind that are overpopulation -- we need to get… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-turner/the-next-most-dangerous-thing-after-nuclear-proliferation-is-probably/) [Ted Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-turner/) > [I think raising wages, investing in infrastructure, making sure that people have access to good educations that equip them for the jobs of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-raising-wages-investing-in-infrastructure-making-sure-that/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes - and we must.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/we-can-choose-to-alleviate-suffering-we-can-choose-to-work-together/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [I advise nobody to drown sorrow in cocoa. It is bad for the figure and it does not alleviate the sorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/i-advise-nobody-to-drown-sorrow-in-cocoa-it-is-bad-for-the-figure-and/) [Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/) > [He wanted to hear her concerns and alleviate them, he wanted to hold her and kiss her and convince her that he would find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/he-wanted-to-hear-her-concerns-and-alleviate-them-he-wanted-to-hold/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [As a Christian, part of my obligation is to alleviate suffering. Explicit recognition of that in the Methodist tradition is one reason I'm comfortable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/as-a-christian-part-of-my-obligation-is-to-alleviate-suffering/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [If any student comes to me and says he wants to be useful to mankind and go into research to alleviate human suffering, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-szent-gyorgyi/if-any-student-comes-to-me-and-says-he-wants-to-be-useful-to-mankind/) [Albert Szent-Gyorgyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-szent-gyorgyi/) > [All the advantages that man has gained from his ever-deepening understanding of the natural world that surrounds him, his technological, chemical and medical progress,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/all-the-advantages-that-man-has-gained-from-his-ever-deepening/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) [Browse all 143 Alleviate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alleviate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A decade ago, critics suggested biotech crops would not be valuable in the developing world. Now 90 percent of farmers who benefit are resource-poor farmers in developing countries. These helped alleviate 7.7 million subsistence farmers in China, India, South Africa, the Philippines from abject poverty.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Clive James" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/a-decade-ago-critics-suggested-biotech-crops-would-not-be-valuable-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alleviate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/a-decade-ago-critics-suggested-biotech-crops-would-not-be-valuable-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/clive-james-2750_alleviate_a-decade-ago-critics-suggested-biotech-c_1640303.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/clive-james-2750_alleviate_a-decade-ago-critics-suggested-biotech-c_1640303.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/clive-james-2750_alleviate_a-decade-ago-critics-suggested-biotech-c_1640303.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A decade ago, critics suggested biotech crops would not be valuable in the developing world. Now 90 percent…” — Clive James", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Clive James", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A decade ago, critics suggested biotech...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/a-decade-ago-critics-suggested-biotech-crops-would-not-be-valuable-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/a-decade-ago-critics-suggested-biotech-crops-would-not-be-valuable-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```