Brazilian Minister of Science and Technology Roberto Amaral proposed Monday that international lenders forgive portions of developing world debt in exchange for commitments by those countries to fund scientific and technological research and education - a debt-for-science swap.

"'Nothing is more unethical than hunger,' said Amaral, explaining that Brazil is troubled by the exclusion of a large portion of humanity from the benefits of science and about 'the commercial and political obstacles' that block the transfer of technology to developing countries."