Wednesday 7 May 2008

Green Revolution


There are problems in the Indian region of Punjab, where science once seemed to have found answers for a hungry world. They use pesticides and fertilizers as part of the Green Revolution. The sprays all have instructions demanding that they should only be used with face masks and protective clothing. But the farm workers here do not use protective equipment, and they spray far more than the recommended amount. High oil prices, drought, over-intensive farming leading to lower yields, increased food demand in India and China and the loss of land to biofuels have all played their part in ending the long period of cheap food that the world has enjoyed for the past 30 years. Read article here.

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