In 1991 Clive James founded ISAAA, a
not-for-profit organization, established to
facilitate the acquisition and transfer of
agricultural biotechnology applications from the
industrial countries, particularly proprietary
technologies from the private sector, for the
benefit of the developing world. The principal
mission of ISAAA is to alleviate hunger and poverty
in the Third World through the application of
biotechnology to increase food production and
provide a better quality of life for the poorest of
the poor.
An agricultural scientist, James received his
formal training in the UK with a first degree in
agriculture followed by a Ph.D from Cambridge
University. Prior to his association with ISAAA he
was Deputy Director General for Research at the
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
in Mexico for 10 years. As a senior research
administrator he was responsible for policy aspects
and overall management of a global research program
that contributed to global food security and a more
sustainable production of wheat and maize in the
Third World.
For the last twenty-five years he has lived and
worked in the developing countries of Asia, Latin
America, and Africa and devoted his efforts to
agricultural research and development issues, more
latterly to biotechnology and global food security.
He has served, as Senior Agricultural Adviser to the
Canadian Bilateral Aid Agency (CIDA), the Food and
Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United
Nations and has consulted for many international
development agencies including the UNDP, and the
World Bank, and for the Hitachi, McKnight and
Rockefeller Foundations.
