Going to college:

The reason I studied Agricultural Science was I wanted to know how plants and animals work, and how we work.

The job:

I find it very interesting to be able to shape policy and shape the way people think.

The technological revolution:

Most of the areas we are dealing with, they are not black and white. There are huge areas of grey.

Using pesticides:

People will lobby actively against using pesticides, saying they are bad for you. That is ignoring the way they are licensed and monitored and the way they bring food to you at a reasonable cost. But that part of the equation is thrown in the bin.

The need for genetically modified foods to be introduced:

In order to feed 10 billion people we will need at least to double our food production in the next 30 odd years, and that is quite a change no matter how you look at it.

The certainty of their introduction:

We do see that some of these crops will be introduced. It will take some time but it will happen.

The commercial pressures:

Food is becoming cheaper all the time. That is forcing agriculture to produce in a manner that minimises the cost.

Banning hormone-treated beef:

The ban on hormones was a political issue, not a safety issue and all the scientific evidence in the world was ignored.