Earth Equity News

...High-Tech Industrialized Farming Exacerbates Food Shortages. Posted by Tom Philpot, Grist, September 9, 2008. "Sir David King insists that a second Green Revolution -- this one involving genetically modified seeds -- is the answer to Africa's food woes. Can he name a single genetically modified seed strain relevant to Africa that has actually raised yields? Second, before he blusters about agro-tech as the only answer for Africa, he should look over the ocean to the example of India -- the first Green Revolution's greatest success. India has also embraced genetically modified seeds. In the span of just two generations, industrial-scale farming has drawn down the water table to perilous levels across large swaths of India. Meanwhile, farmers on the GMO/agrichemical treadmill have been gripped by a sustained wave of suicides, attributed in large part to the severe financial strain from debt incurred from buying pricey inputs. No doubt, Africa faces a tragic food crisis. But Sir David disgraces himself by presenting high-tech, input-heavy ag as a panacea. In truth, the 'traditional' ag techniques that he treats so contemptuously have been systematically under attack for more than a generation, as the IMF and World Bank have pushed national governments to dismantle farmer-support programs."