roxymary's TT Blog

This success story continued in India when, in the mid-1960s, the IR8 rice strain was introduced. During that time, India was again facing severe drought and was hard-pressed to feed its 450 million people. The IR8 rice strain, developed in the Philippines by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), could produce more grains per plant as long as water and synthetic fertilisers were abundantly applied. By the mid-1990s, rice production had already increased three-fold and India has not faced famine since the Green Revolution arrived on her soil ^{[4] [5]}. Similar to Mexico, India has also metamorphosed from being a net importer to becoming a net exporter of grain ^[6].

. The rising costs of grain are, in part, due to record oil prices leading farmers to grow crops for biofuel instead of food, extreme weather patterns causing hotter growing seasons and aggravating water scarcity and, more importantly, increased consumption by a rising world population ^[9

^{. Consider, too, the steadily rising standard of living. Not only can more people afford to eat meat, they can also afford to eat meat more often, intensifying the demand for grain to be used as cattle feed[11]. ]}.

Although there is no conclusive evidence as yet regarding its cause, their increase has been linked to pesticide usage by local farmers ^[10]. Worldwide, an estimated one to five million farm workers suffer from pesticide poisoning and twenty thousand die annually from exposure ^[16].

. All the case studies in  UNEP’s analysis showed an increase in crop yield per hectare. In fact, most African farmers reaped more than they needed for personal consumption. The surplus was sold, providing an extra source of income for the family. The studies also found that organic agriculture improved soil fertility, increased water retention in soil and improved regional water tables, thereby ensuring a source of drinking water during the dry season. In addition, soil erosion was reduced while its organic matter was increased, restoring SOC levels in farm soil. The resulting soil is healthier and better capable of sustaining plant growth, enabling