My comment to the Sustainable Agriculture discussion group on the intervention by world ag-industry in India:
It is not really disputable according to the facts available to us in 2013. The green revolution was a propaganda “spin”, and it was net negative for populations, communities, and all creatures of the planet. Cheap fertilizer was temporary and could have helped as medicine to nurse poorly farmed soils back to health with a sustainable plan going forward. It was not. The “medicine” became the norm and the addiction. This created many more problems than it solved. Pesticides were needed as a result of addiction and mismanagement. Pesticides are medicine for sick systems and are generally not needed in non-parasitic agriculture practice. Maintaining health in the soil and surrounding ecosystems–including communities–is not consistent with ongoing applications of biocides. Plant breeding and sharing of world genetics is powerful. Liebig’s Law of the minimum is powerful. Non-marketed components of the “green revolution” are powerful tools. Conversely, the marketed concepts relating to pesticides, energy thirsty fertility plans, and genetic modification are certainly a farce and a way for the investor class to milk the Indian, African, and world populous for another bunch of years.
In the poster child–the US–yields were at rock bottom in the early 1900’s, due to farming out the land and moving on; yields had to rise, just as they had plummeted, no matter what methods were used.
Green in the 21st century understanding, means vibrant ecosystems and mass amounts of the world’s Carbon in vibrant growing form. Rather, the huge inputs of energy used to create the “green revolution” de-greened the earth and put most of that carbon that was in soils, forests, and organic farmlands into the atmosphere contributing to our current problems.
The “green revolution” is very clearly no more than a marketing ploy. It has no positive meaning. We need to ignore it and simply look at the line-up of appropriate technology available to us in 2013 to form strategy that fits with our enlightened concepts of “green”. Judge success by the 2013 triple bottom line ideas of “Indigenous Capital” 1.) Ecological Asset 2.) Community/Spiritual Asset 3.) Multiplication of Resources. Immunize your minds to parasitism by the Investor class and the burden of life will be bearable! Sustainability matters to the people, not the ‘milk it while you can’ investor class.
occupyconscience 