we need to de-romanticize our view of preindustrial food and farming…

An article by Rob Paarlberg:

Attention Whole Foods Shoppers: Stop obsessing about arugula. Your “sustainable” mantra — organic, local, and slow — is no recipe for saving the world’s hungry millions.

By Rob Paarlberg
Foreign Policy
May / June 2010

“If we are going to get serious about solving global hunger, we need to de-romanticize our view of preindustrial food and farming. And that means learning to appreciate the modern, science-intensive, and highly capitalized agricultural system … Wherever the rural poor have gained access to improved roads, modern seeds, less expensive fertilizer, electrical power, and better schools and clinics, their productivity and their income have increased. But recent efforts to deliver such essentials have been undercut by deeply misguided (if sometimes well-meaning) advocacy against agricultural modernization and foreign aid.”

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/04/26/attention_whole_foods_shoppers

One thought on “we need to de-romanticize our view of preindustrial food and farming…

  1. A debate ensues…CLASHES OVER FOOD PRODUCTION AND HUNGER, MERITS OF THE GREEN REVOLUTION, AND EFFICIENCY VERSUS DIVERSITY IN SUSTAINABLE FARMING by MAYWA MONTENEGRO / MAY 14, 2010 / Seed Magazine”Chappell vs Paarlberg”Who presents the more convincing argument? How does your experience—as a farmer, a scientist, or simply as a human who eats—inform your views of sustainable farming?

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