Our World

African Farms get massive pledge to help spure "Green Revolution".

We recently discussed about the Green Revolution in class so I found this article interesting. Two foundations recently announced that they will donate/spend 150 million dollars to help rural farmers in Africa boost crop production. These two agencies are, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and and The Rockellfeller foundation. Working together for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, they plan to develop high drought resistant crops along with newer advanced farming equipment to rural African farmers.

I have mixed reactions to this news. First off if one of the major problems facing the world is if we are going to be able to feed the growing population in the future. Are book mentions the world population is expected to double over the next twenty to thirty years. Yes a Green Revolution in Africa would dramatically increase food production and ease that problem, but what about the enviromental costs that could result. As more land would be created for growing crops a higher risk for desertification would result. 60% of the worlds grassland or rangeland are threatened by desertification already. Can we really afford to have that number increased? Increase in crops would require much much more water for irragation. People in Africa already have a hard enough time trying to find what little water they can to survive. To take all that water for irragation would put tremendous strain on the African people. I am very interested to see if we hear anymore about this in the coming months and years. Please send some comments to me, I am curious to see what other people think.
Green Revolution in Africa

posted by Anonymous @ 9/21/2006 05:30:00 PM