In his first speech on agriculture to the 2009 World Food Prize Symposium, Bill Gates emphasized the important role technology such as biotechnology is playing in combating world hunger. Gates also pointed out that the current fight over GM crops is hurting the cause against world hunger.

“Some people insist on an ideal vision of the environment,” Gates said. “They have tried to restrict the spread of biotechnology into sub-Saharan Africa without regard to how much hunger and poverty might be reduced by it, or what the farmers themselves might want.”

What are your thoughts? Should activists be able to limit farmer’s access to crop varieties?

To read more about Bill Gate’s speech, click here.