Another Green Revolution

With so many adverse factors affecting world food supplies a second Green Revolution is about to be launched combining the leadership of Kofi Annan, the massive financial backing of the Gates Foundation, and the considerable technical resources of the Monsanto Corporation. I understand that desperate heads of state of African countries are welcoming this intervention.

The residual effects of the last ‘green revolution’, launched in the ‘60’s, despite its early successes in dramatically increasing production, is reported to have left both land and small farmers impoverished in many places and hugely reduced the genetic pool built up over generations (in the case of rice in Indonesia a recent report stated a 2000 -2 reduction).

A case study recently published in the Permaculture Magazine (summer 2008) entitled ‘Reversing the Green Revolution in Malawi’ clearly sets out the issues and demonstrates how a dependence on western industrialised agriculture, with its need for increasingly expensive inputs, can be reversed by tapping into the considerable resource of nearly 600 local plants. Many of these are seen to be more nutritious and have the added advantage of low inputs and self seeding. In order to wean the population off the unsustainable western diets introduced by the previous programme an experienced aid worker is currently working with the Ministry of Health to introduce permaculture into each of the countries 5000+ primary schools, as a way of re-educating local communities about the wealth on their doorstep.

Another study conducted in Pakistan and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Biological Science in August 2006 concluded “In Pakistan there are numerous varieties of field grown vegetables. These vegetables are expensive……The deficiencies of most of the vitamins present in vegetables are common in Pakistan. The use of these wild vegetables can help in combating these deficiencies. The only need is to explore the chemical composition of these vegetables and to include them in the daily menu planning.” Weeds as human food – a quest for cheaper mineral sources – NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar. Pakistan.

A press handout from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society at their conference in Manchester on 4 th September 2006 entitled ‘Wild Vegetables Key To Life’ reported on a study of 127 locally consumed wild or semi-wild plants around the Mediterranean.

Professor Michael Henrich from the Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy, University of London School of Pharmacy says “…obviously vegetables, fruits, fish, garlic and olive oil are fundamental to the Mediterranean diet and its effect on health, but we have discovered the important benefits of previously unrecognised healthy local food plants. It is important to document this traditional knowledge before it disappears, which is sadly happening very fast.”

Despite the work of ethnobotanists uncovering more and more about this vast and largely untapped resource of edible wild plants pressure is mounting to let in the GM technologists to provide all the answers. Calls from the opposing camps are getting ever more strident. Lord Taverne on a recent radio programme repeatedly branded opponents of GM technology as ‘enemies of humanity’ and on two recent broadcasts I have heard Lord Melchett of the Soil Association accuse the pro-GM lobbly of peddling lies.

I understand that the UK government is about to start a fresh debate on the introduction of GM technology into food production. I’m reminded of two pronouncements by key figures of the last century. William Albrecht the American soil scientist insisted that ‘food is fabricated soil fertility’. Closer to home Fritz Schumacher as President of the Soil Association wrote that ‘There is incredible generosity in the potentialities of Nature. We only have to discover and utilise them’.

The big question is whether we will be able to give Nature a chance before it is too late.

R