"There's a lot of hype in the media," he said. "The overstatements have hurt the cause. It is not possible to achieve all that."

He called for more research on other crops, as well as poultry and fish, which he said are essential to ensuring the poor eat well-balanced diets.

Swaminathan also said scientists will have to work with social scientists to resolve ethical concerns over genetically-engineered organisms.

As he talked of "reaching the unreached," Swaminathan said developing countries are threatened by major social divides, especially gender gaps and unequal access to technology.

He described "micro-planning" projects he and his team of researchers have carried out to begin closing those gaps, such as low-cost greenhouses and wireless Internet connections.

After his lecture, Swaminathan faced questions challenging his reliance on individual farmers in an era of large, dominant multi-national agricultural firms.

Though he acknowledged "you can't beat them," Swaminathan said he believed his small-scale projects would set a self-replicating example for the entire country.