Green Revolution versus Sustainable Agriculture

[Guest guest]

Causes and Strategies on World Hunger

Green Revolution versus Sustainable Agriculture

By Katarina Wahlberg *

 

World Economy & Development in Brief

May 2008

Pdf Versionhttp://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/hunger/economy/2008/05strategies.htmWorld hunger is not new. Before the current price increase, 850 million

people – 13% of the world’s population – were chronically hungry. The

number of under-fed people has steadily climbed over the past decade.

Now, the World Food Programme estimates that the crisis has driven

another 100 million people into hunger, including even urban middle

class people in Indonesia and Mexico. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon,

World Bank President Robert Zoellick and other leaders are urging

governments to act promptly. But before jumping on the official

bandwagon, we must ask what kind of action, and what brought this

crisis on.

 

 

* Green Revolution for Africa?

Food prices are escalating because agricultural production has not

increased fast enough to meet booming demand. According to conventional

economic theory, production will rise automatically to meet this

demand, and once supply is up, prices will fall. Following this

approach, the World Bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the

Rockefeller Foundation are promoting a “New Green Revolution†in

Africa. Already underway, this initiative will “seize an opportunity

from the higher demand for food†– to increase agricultural production

through scientific development of more productive crops, improved

fertilizers, and better farming techniques. The World Bank is doubling

its lending to $800m to increase agricultural productivity. And the

Rockefeller and the Gates Foundations have allocated $150m to make

seeds more productive and suitable for Africa's unpredictable rainfall

patterns.

The World Bank is also urging countries to cut tariffs and eliminate

barriers to international trade. Again, this follows conventional

economic theory, which holds that a liberalized market will foster

growth as each country specializes in producing the goods and services

that it is particularly suited to produce.Unfortunately, conventional

economic theory fails to recognize that the earth cannot be exploited

indefinitely. Following the Green Revolution of the 1960s, farm

productivity increased but at a high social, economic and environmental

cost. Industrial farming and heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides

led to soil degradation, health problems and climate change.

Agriculture currently contributes 30% of the world’s greenhouse gas

emissions. And climate change is already threatening production in many

countries through shifting weather patterns, including an increase of

droughts and floods.

* New dependencies

The last three decades of international trade liberalization may have

increased overall economic growth, but wealth has been distributed very

unevenly. The rich have become richer, while the poor are poorer.

Through the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund,

the World Bank and numerous trade agreements, rich countries pressured

poor countries to dismantle tariffs and other barriers to trade.

Meanwhile rich countries have supported large agribusiness with almost

$300bn each year in agricultural subsidies. Now, a handful of

companies, such as Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland, ConAgra and

Monsanto dominate the global production and trade of many commodities.

Unable to compete with large agribusiness and subsidized goods,

millions of small-scale farmers have been driven off the land.

Meanwhile, large-scale industrialized farming of export crops dominates

remaining agricultural production. Most poor countries no longer

produce enough food to satisfy domestic needs. Thirty years ago, Haiti

was almost self-sufficient in rice. Today, Haiti imports most of its

rice from the US. Mexico used to produce enough corn to feed its

population but since joining the North American Free Trade Agreement,

Mexico depends on imports from the US. International trade also puts a

strain on the environment as agricultural commodities are being

processed, packaged and transported over long distances.

* What about demand?

The most important factors behind the current price hike relate to the

demand side – not the production side – of the equation. So why not

reduce demand? Hunger analysts identify biofuel production as a leading

cause of the current crisis. In the US and the EU, large subsidies, tax

exemptions and mandatory targets have created an artificial demand for

biofuels. Instead of producing for human consumption, farmers make

larger profits from growing biofuel crops. But, filling one SUV car

tank with biofuel requires 200kg of corn, which could feed one person

for one year. Climate scientists also warn that biofuel production is

speeding up global warming. Rising global consumption of meat and dairy

is another major factor behind the rising food prices. Beef is

grain-intensive. To produce one pound, seven pounds of grain are

needed. Since the 1970s, global meat production has more than doubled,

putting enormous strain on global cereal stocks, as well as the

environment. The cattle industry is responsible for 18% of all

greenhouse gas emissions.

While analysts identify population growth as a less immediate cause of

the food crisis, population plays a major role over the long term. The

UN expects world population to grow from 6.7 to 9.2 billion in 2050.

But these numbers depend on fertility decreases in the poorest

countries, which require improved access to family planning and

reproductive health services. Partly due to the anti-family planning

policy of the US government, international organizations promoting

these issues have faced financial constraints. Since 2002, the US

government has withheld $34m in annual funding from the UN Population

Fund and millions more in grants to private agencies.

* Sustainable agriculture as an alternative

The global food crisis has brought attention to the long-standing

problem of hunger. It is time that world leaders are held accountable

for their past promises of food for all. Governments must immediately

increase food aid, ban biofuel production and develop policies to

supersede factory farms and other unsustainable farming practices. In

recent weeks, an important international report presented a compelling

vision of truly sustainable agriculture. The IAASTD (International

Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development)

based this report (see reference) on three years of international

research, involving 400 scientists and development specialists.

The landmark project provides an alternative to the “New Green

Revolution.†It focuses less on increasing yields, and more on reducing

hunger, through “environmentally, socially, and economically

sustainable development.†The report talks about addressing the needs

of small-scale farmers, by increasing their access to land and natural

resources. It cautions against Genetically Modified (GM) crops, as too

little is known about their long-term effects. Further, the report

warns that patenting of GM crops undermines local farming practices and

concentrates ownership of resources. Finally, the authors propose

financial incentives to reduce deforestation and conserve natural

habitats so as to mitigate climate change. A “fundamental shift†in

agricultural policy is needed. Otherwise, says IAASTD Director Robert

Watson, hunger, income inequality and environmental degradation will

increase further and “we face a world no one would want to inhabit.â€

Reference:

* Synthesis Report of the International Assessment of Agricultural

Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), see

www.agassessment.org; for the NGO debate on the report see

www.agassessment-watch.org.

About the Author: Katarina Wahlberg is Social and Economic Policy Coordinator at Global Policy Forum. One vaccine decreases cell-mediated immunity by 50%, two vaccines by 70%…all triple vaccines (MMR, DTaP) markedly impair cell-mediated immunity, which predisposes to recurrent viral infections - Dr H H Fudenberg, world renowned immunologist.

Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Invite them now.