40 



Plant Derived Bioactive Chemicals 



Condusion 



It is essential that the described natural product discovery programs have access 

 to reserves of biological diversity. The balance of how much land should be used to 

 conserve biodiversity vs how much should be put to agricultural use is an issue 

 facing policy makers. It should be noted, however, that provided the population is 

 controlled, the more efficiently land is used for agricultural production, the more 

 land is made available for the conservation of biodiversity. And the more land we 

 can conserve for biodiversity, the greater are our options to improve agricultural 

 efficiency and to address environmental and health issues. We must preserve 

 and operate this 'positive feedback loop' if we are to meet the quality of life 

 demanded by the world's population. 



Monsanto's research programs have a major interest in seeing that the correct 

 balance is struck between conservation and use of natural resources. Efforts are 

 driven by the need to meet society's demands to provide an improved quality of life 

 to an ever increasing population. These programs vnll result in products which 

 increase the health and welfare of the population by providing new medicines and 

 the efficient agricultural basis essential for continued prosperity. 



/^rknnwledgement 



I would like to acknowledge Dr J. Miller, of the Missouri Botanical Gardens for 

 his useful help and discussions in the preparation of this manuscript. 



Page 6 



