Go for small-scale farming, not monoculture – DESERTIFICATION
Go for small-scale farming, not monoculture
Photo credit: Huffington Post
TO GO WITH AFP STORY ‘Lifestyle-China-farm-food-health,FEATURE’ by Fran Wang
A Chinese farmer tends to the crops at Ji Yunliang’s organic farm in the outskirt of Beijing on June 7, 2010. Ji Yunliang worked as a missile researcher at a large state-owned enterprise and later earned a doctorate in chemistry at a prestigious Beijing university — now, he is running a small, organic farm. In a country hit by a series of food safety scandals, the interest in organic produce is growing fast. | AFP via Getty Images
UN Report Says Small-Scale Organic Farming Only Way to Feed the World
by Nick Meyer | AltHealthWORKS
Small-Scale Organic Farming Only Way to Feed the World – Image: eatdrinkbetter.com – https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNA52RhZ0OUqqMEfaQsouCNIuMXA6hxdQWhVXOkPwat6bwOi0kMQpizthyphenhyphenfq__QqGoL5YyFLfpHzbrz9CheDfvKaBuG_IPrtFnfwkgq11h0Kaa4sPagqSkFUwq9Eggs-XKDw_A73CGH0s/s1600/496056329_cd5b0a5737_b.jpgEXCERPT
Even as the United States government continues to push for the use of more chemically-intensive and corporate-dominated farming methods such as GMOs and monoculture-based crops, the United Nations is once against sounding the alarm about the urgent need to return to (and develop) a more sustainable, natural and organic system.
That was the key point of a new publication from the UN Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) titled“Trade and Environment Review 2013: Wake Up Before It’s Too Late,” which included contributions from more than 60 experts around the world.
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The findings on the report seem to echo those of a December 2010 UN Report in many ways, one that essentially said organic and small-scale farming is the answer for “feeding the world,” not GMOs and monocultures.
According to the new UN report, major changes are needed in our food, agriculture and trade systems, with a shift toward local small-scale farmers and food systems recommended.
Diversity of farms, reducing the use of fertilizer and other changes are desperately needed according to the report, which was highlighted in this article from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
Source: althealthworks.com
See the text: Technologywater
Urgent need for a more sustainable, natural and organic farming system
In "Agriculture"
UNCTAD in favor of small-scale farming
In "Agriculture"
Author: Willem Van Cotthem
Honorary Professor of Botany, University of Ghent (Belgium). Scientific Consultant for Desertification and Sustainable Development. View all posts by Willem Van Cotthem
Author Willem Van CotthemPosted onMay 14, 2015CategoriesAgriculture, Desertification, food / food security, small-scale farmingTagsUNCTAD
