According to a recent study conducted by the Wirthlin Group, one in three Americans admits to
knowing little, if anything, about biotechnology. To help bridge this knowledge gap, Novartis is launching two new initiatives to help U.S. consumers understand the value of plant biotechnology research.

By unlocking the secrets of plant genetic codes, agricultural biotechnology will revolutionize how we treat disease, feed a growing world population and protect our environment," explains Ed Shonsey, President and CEO of Novartis Seeds, Inc. "But in order to realize this potential, we must help American consumers understand the immense possibilities biotechnology places within our grasp."

Toward that end, Novartis U.S. Foundation, the charitable arm of the organization's U.S. operations is investing $450,000 in two educational efforts.

In the first initiative, Novartis is partnering with the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago to develop a new exhibit aptly titled "Farm to Plate." This 4,000 square foot museum exhibit, scheduled to open in the fall of 2000, will allow visitors to trace modern food production, exploring how American farmers use science and technology to improve the quality and quantity of food and fiber they produce.

"This area will provide visitors with a greater understanding of how farmers produce the food that ultimately lines our grocery store shelves," explains Ann Goldman, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, of the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago.

An estimated two million people will tour the exhibit annually, including more than 400,000 children who visit the museum as part of school groups and youth organizations.

In addition to investing $300,000 for exhibit development, experts from Novartis Seeds and Novartis Crop Protection will serve as advisers during the project's design, helping to create an interactive exhibit that will ultimately feature everything from a combine simulator and a large, indoor greenhouse to a robotic cow.

In a separate move, the Novartis U.S. Foundation has awarded a $150,000 three-year grant to the Biotechnology Institute, based in Washington, D.C., for the production and distribution of "Your World" magazine. The publication, which is distributed to thousands of science teachers and
used with hunderds of thousands of middle and high school students throughout the U.S., emphasizes practical applications of bioscience research in pharmaceutical, environmental, industrial and agricultural arenas. Novartis is the sole funding contributor engaged in agricultural
biotechnology research.  "Your World gives teachers access to up-to-date, real-life examples of
biotechnology at work -- information that simply isn't available from most textbooks currently in use," explains Jeff Davidson, the Institute's Director of Bioscience Education. "Equally important, we present the material in a fun-to-read, magazine-style format, which students find more interesting than most traditional classroom material."

Novartis Seeds' Ed Shonsey maintains that these investments in public education are critical, as crops enhanced by plant biotechnology become increasingly mainstream.

"It's clear that biotech crops will be the rule on American fields," Shonsey emphasizes. "Farmers recognize the benefits of lower pest control costs and insect and weed management methods that are more effective, more convenient and more environmentally friendly.

"As an industry, we've done a great job of telling our story internally," he continues, "but we need to work harder in making the benefits of plant biotechnology clear to the general public."

Heiri Gugger, President of Novartis Crop Protection, Inc., says it is important to step up public education efforts, as traditional crops are increasingly enhanced to specialty crop status.

"Some consumers -- in the U.S. and abroad -- may be willing to pay for the added cost of producing crops developed without the use of agricultural biotechnology," he acknowledges. "And that may open new markets for some producers. But for most farmers, biotechnology is critical to their future success in producing the world's most affordable, high quality food. Public education will significantly contribute to American consumers understanding of the value of today's and tomorrow's biotech products."

Novartis Seeds, Inc. is a leading agriculture and biotechnology research organization that develops genetics and value-added products, and produces and sells corn, soybean, alfalfa, sunflower, sorghum, wheat, sugarbeet, vegetable and flower seeds.

Novartis Crop Protection, Inc. is the world's leading supplier of crop protection and specialty products. The company's Crop Protection NAFTA headquarters is located in Greensboro, N.C.

Both Novartis Seeds, Inc. and Novartis Crop Protection, Inc. are U.S. affiliates of Novartis, a world leader in Life Sciences with core businesses in Healthcare, Agribusiness and Consumer Health (Nutrition and Self-Medication). In 1998, Novartis Group sales were $21.8 billion, of which $12 billion were in Healthcare, $5.8 billion in Agribusiness, and $4 billion in Consumer Health. The group annually invests more than $2.6 billion in research and development. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis employs about 82,000 people and operates in over 140 countries around the world. The company's U.S. headquarters are located in Summit, N.J.

Company news release
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