Food for All

This is an examination of the feasibility of halving world hunger by 2015. It looks at: BSE, foot and mouth and salmonella; declining food variety/quality; and disappearing topsoil/ biodiversity in rural areas. It argues for a green, low-external input approach that can feed the hungry.

What kind of agriculture do we need to feed the world? World leaders have committed themselves to halving hunger by the year 2015 as a first step towards food for all. But is this an achievable target? John Madeley's new book shows we already have the experience on which to base a new approach to agricultural production and feeding the world's whole population. Millions need better access to the land from which the market forced them, and a more equitable income distribution so that the poor can afford the available food. This is part of the solution. But the other part is an innovative, multi-faceted move away from a monoculture production system dependent on ever more tractors and fossil fuels, dangerous chemicals, and hybrid seeds monopolized by a handful of giant corporations. Instead, he shows it is feasible to look to the spread of a low-external input approach, a reintegration of traditional farming techniques, new farming practices like organic agriculture and permaculture, and a range of 'green' technologies which can all play a role in bringing world agriculture back to a path which offers a viable livelihood to farmers, food for the hungry, and all without harming the environment.