Veena Annadana
New Member
How to feed the world in 2050
The Organic Answer to Food Security for all, including
the rural poor!
On the occasion of the World Food Day, agro-industry proposes a second green
revolution based on genetic engineering. This suits their interests but does not
contribute to feeding the poor. Organic Agriculture based on its encouraging
concepts, experience and examples proposes a paradigm-shift in food security
policies to ensure that hunger is history by 2050.
In 2009, the number of undernourished people reached one billion, three quarters of
them live in rural areas . This is more than ever before. Despite the fact that the
world produces 125% of the required food for all, 15% of people are hungry; and most
of them are women and children. Global agriculture production today fails to feed
the world?s poorest people since they lack access to income and resources such as
fertile land, water, seeds and knowledge for a farming system adapted to local
conditions and the demands of markets. The green revolution accomplished a lot but
failed to combat hunger. It focused only on technology and relied on huge quantities
of climate damaging inputs such as agro-chemicals.
Putting the last first
IFOAM advocates for a paradigm shift in agricultural policies and offers its
practices and systems to policy makers for adoption especially in the global south
and for regions with food insecurity. Organic Agriculture puts the needs of rural
people and the sustainable use of natural resources at the centre of the farming
system. Locally adapted technologies create employment opportunities and income. Low
external inputs minimize risk of indebtedness and intoxication of the environment.
It increases harvests through practices that favor the optimization of biological
processes and local resources over expensive, toxic and climate damaging
agro-chemicals. Organic Agricultural practices bring land degraded by unsustainable
farming practices, severe drought and soil erosion back into production. And in
response to a frequently asked question: Yes, the world can be fed by the worldwide
adoption of Organic Agriculture. The slightly lower yields of Organic Agriculture in
favorable, temperate zones are compensated with approximately 10 ? 20% higher yields
in difficult environments such as arid areas.
For more information call Markus Arbenz, IFOAM Executive Director:
+49 160 804 15 57
IFOAM Press Release, Responsible: Markus Arbenz
Head Office Contact
Charles-de-Gaulle-Str. 5
53113 Bonn, Germany
Tel: +49-228-92650-10
Fax: +49-228-92650-99
Email:
headoffice@ifoam.org
ifoam.org | International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
© 2009 IFOAM - All rights reserved.
The Organic Answer to Food Security for all, including
the rural poor!
On the occasion of the World Food Day, agro-industry proposes a second green
revolution based on genetic engineering. This suits their interests but does not
contribute to feeding the poor. Organic Agriculture based on its encouraging
concepts, experience and examples proposes a paradigm-shift in food security
policies to ensure that hunger is history by 2050.
In 2009, the number of undernourished people reached one billion, three quarters of
them live in rural areas . This is more than ever before. Despite the fact that the
world produces 125% of the required food for all, 15% of people are hungry; and most
of them are women and children. Global agriculture production today fails to feed
the world?s poorest people since they lack access to income and resources such as
fertile land, water, seeds and knowledge for a farming system adapted to local
conditions and the demands of markets. The green revolution accomplished a lot but
failed to combat hunger. It focused only on technology and relied on huge quantities
of climate damaging inputs such as agro-chemicals.
Putting the last first
IFOAM advocates for a paradigm shift in agricultural policies and offers its
practices and systems to policy makers for adoption especially in the global south
and for regions with food insecurity. Organic Agriculture puts the needs of rural
people and the sustainable use of natural resources at the centre of the farming
system. Locally adapted technologies create employment opportunities and income. Low
external inputs minimize risk of indebtedness and intoxication of the environment.
It increases harvests through practices that favor the optimization of biological
processes and local resources over expensive, toxic and climate damaging
agro-chemicals. Organic Agricultural practices bring land degraded by unsustainable
farming practices, severe drought and soil erosion back into production. And in
response to a frequently asked question: Yes, the world can be fed by the worldwide
adoption of Organic Agriculture. The slightly lower yields of Organic Agriculture in
favorable, temperate zones are compensated with approximately 10 ? 20% higher yields
in difficult environments such as arid areas.
For more information call Markus Arbenz, IFOAM Executive Director:
+49 160 804 15 57
IFOAM Press Release, Responsible: Markus Arbenz
Head Office Contact
Charles-de-Gaulle-Str. 5
53113 Bonn, Germany
Tel: +49-228-92650-10
Fax: +49-228-92650-99
Email:
headoffice@ifoam.org
ifoam.org | International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
© 2009 IFOAM - All rights reserved.